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

 

Carney inches closer to majority as fourth MP defects to Liberals (Image: getty Images)

The defection of a fourth member of the current Canadian parliament to the Liberals brings Prime Minister Mark Carney closer to securing a majority in the House of Commons. Lori Idlout, a member of the left-leaning New Democrats (NDP), is joining the governing party.  In a statement issued by the Liberals, she said she had undergone "much personal reflection and encouragement from my community, family, and supporters".

 Interim NDP leader Don Davies said he was "very disappointed", adding: "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."

Read More: Carney calls three by-elections in Canada that could grant him a majority

 The Liberals said they were "deeply excited to welcome" Idlout.

Idlout was first elected as an MP from the Canadian terriotry of Nunavut in 2021.

 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.

 Carney, who leads a minority government, has been closing in on a majority in recent months - largely helped by recent defections by three former Conservative members of parliament.

 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.

 Conservatives in opposition have accused the Liberals of employing "pressure tactics" on their constituents. Over the weekend, Carney also announced three by-elections on 13 April - races that could secure the Liberals the majority government that they crave.

 Two of the by-elections will be held in Toronto, in constituencies that are considered Liberal strongholds.  The third contest will be closely watched in Montreal, where his party won the previous election by just one vote, but the Supreme Court overturned that result. If the Liberals win all three seats in April, following the addition of Idlout, they would secure 173 seats in the House of Commons, allowing the prime minister to likely avoid an election for three more years.

 In the federal election a year ago, the NDP won just seven seats after losing significant vote share to rival parties.

 The NDP will vote for a new leader later this month.

Source: BBC