Carney inches closer to majority, as fourth MP defects to Liberals

Getty ImagesPrime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals have inched closer to a majority in the Canadian parliament as a fourth MP defected to join the party.Lori Idlout, a member of the left-leaning New Democrats (NDP), joined Carney after "much personal reflection", the Liberals said in a statement."At this turning point in our history, I am ready to work with (Carney) to build a strong future for Nunavut and for all of Canada," Idlout said.Floor crossings are allowed in Canada's Westminster parliamentary system, and have occurred more than 300 times since confederation in 1867. Carney, leading a minority government, is nearing a majority – largely helped by three recent defections from Conservative MPs.Idlout was first elected as an MP from the Canadian territory of Nunavut in 2021. In its statement, the Liberal Party said she was "well known as a tireless champion for Nunavut". Idlout said that she believed her northern community needed "a strong and ambitious government", citing concerns about Canada's sovereignty, climate change and affordability. Interim NDP leader Don Davies said he was "very disappointed", with Idlout's defection. "We believe that when someone rejects the decision of their electors and wants to join another party, they should put that decision to their voters," he said.She told the CBC in January that she had been asked to consider joining the Liberals but was not yet ready to make the move. In February, Matt Jeneroux, a Conservative from Edmonton, joined the Liberal caucus. Two other Conservative MPs, Chris d'Entremont of Nova Scotia and Michael Ma of Ontario, had crossed the floor late last year to join Carney's government.Opposition Conservatives have accused the Liberals of using "pressure tactics" on their members.In a statement on Wednesday, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre accused Carney of "using back room deals to seize a costly majority government that voters rejected". Semra Sevi, a University of Toronto researcher who has studied federal political defections, said that having four MPs from two different political parties cross the floor in a matter of months is rare."Politically, it is extremely fortunate timing for Carney and the Liberals," Sevi said of Idlout's defection. Analysts say the defections to the Liberals reflect the unique moment Canada finds itself in as it navigates mounting global uncertainty, driven largely by the return of US President Donald Trump to the White House.The Liberals under Carney are also "governing from the centre", noted Laura Stephenson, a political science professor at Western University in Ontario, which she said makes the party "more attractive to a broader swath of politicians".MPs can also be enticed by wanting to be a part of the sitting government. Those who have crossed the floors, in some cases, have been given seats on special committees or have accompanied the prime minister on key global trips, like Jeneroux, who travelled with Carney during his recent Indo-Pacific trade tour.But defection does come with political risks. Some voters see it is a "betrayal" of the mandate they gave their MP under a specific party banner, Sevi said. Polls also suggest Canadians have little appetite for an early election and want stability in government during these turbulent times.Carney himself is polling favourably, with numerous surveys suggesting his Liberal party would win a majority if an election were to be held today. Samra Sevi says "the government is still short of a majority, so it does not change the immediate balance of power in the House of Commons". "However, it does reinforce the perception of political momentum."The Carney government could soon be in majority, thanks to three by-elections announced by Carney over the weekend for 13 April. Two of the by-elections will be held in Toronto, in constituencies that are considered Liberal strongholds. The third will be a closely-watched contest in Montreal that his party won by just one vote in the last election – a result that was nullified by the Supreme Court.If the Liberals win all three seats in April, following the addition of Idlout, they will secure 173 seats in the House of Commons, allowing the prime minister to likely avoid an election for three more years.Mark CarneyCanada