Particle.news

D’Entremont Joins Liberals Before Budget Vote as Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux Resigns

The defection lifts the government to 170 seats, leaving Mark Carney two votes short of a majority ahead of confidence votes on his first budget.

Overview

  • Nova Scotia’s Chris d’Entremont left Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives to sit with the governing Liberals, citing misalignment with the leader’s approach and support for budget measures benefiting his riding.
  • With d’Entremont’s move, Liberals hold 170 of 343 seats, still needing opposition support to pass the budget and avoid an election-triggering defeat.
  • Liberal ministers and party sources say they courted d’Entremont for years and are sounding out other Conservatives, describing promising leads but no firm commitments.
  • Conservative MPs condemned the switch as a betrayal and linked it to a failed Speaker bid, while reaction in d’Entremont’s Nova Scotia riding ranged from approval to calls for accountability.
  • Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux resigned days later, and the government survived a confidence vote on a Conservative budget sub‑amendment with help from other opposition parties.