Carney Liberals on Brink of Majority Ahead of Byelections
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- Mark Carney's Liberals are on the brink of a parliamentary majority, with three byelections on Monday expected to give the party command of parliament — two in safe seats and one narrowly contested.
- Marilyn Gladu became the fourth Conservative to cross the floor to the Liberals last week, while Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout also defected and Ontario's NDP deputy leader will run as a Liberal in a Toronto byelection she is expected to win easily.
- Pierre Poilievre attacked the defections as a Liberal majority achieved through "backroom deals," citing Gladu's own January statement that floor crossers should face voters in a byelection to give voters "the final say."
- Gladu's anti-abortion views and past support for the "freedom convoy" have triggered a fierce internal Liberal debate, with former Trudeau adviser Supriya Dwivedi urging the party to re-read Carney's book on values.
- Carney said Gladu is committed to voting with the government on abortion rights, and Gladu stated publicly that she believes "women need to have the right to choose" despite her "long faith traditions."
- Political strategist Scott Reid linked the floor crossings to Trump's "disruptive force" on Canada, calling the situation "the quietest assembly of a union government we've ever witnessed."
- Polling shows Carney has expanded his lead since the April 2025 federal election, with the Liberals on track for a historic majority if he calls a snap election.
Why it matters: Carney is converting a minority parliament into a majority without returning to voters — handing him legislative control during a trade war with Trump but exposing the Liberals to charges of trading values for power, especially with the defection of a social-conservative former Conservative like Gladu.
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