Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont said Wednesday he left the Conservative caucus because he no longer felt represented in leader Pierre Poilievre’s party and was angry about its “negative” approach to politics.
D’Entremont said there are other Conservative MPs who “are in the same boat” and could join him in defecting to the Liberals.
“Over the last few months, I didn’t feel aligned with the ideals that the opposition leader had been talking about,” d’Entremont told reporters in Poilievre after appearing with Prime Minister Mark Carney at a post-budget news conference, the day after he crossed the floor.
Asked what prompted him to leave, d’Entremont said: “It’s just about looking at leadership styles and whether we’re doing the right thing for Canada.”
D’Entremont said Canada faces challenges and felt it was better to be part of the solution to some of those problems as a member of the government group “and not continue to be negative.”
“It’s time to lead a country to try to improve it and not try to tear it down,” he said. “We have a great opportunity here in Canada and instead of tearing people down, we should try to find ways to work together, and that’s what I’ve always tried to do in my career.”
Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont, who left the Conservatives to join the Liberals on Budget Day, says in recent months he didn’t feel aligned with the ideals put forward by the Conservative leader and wanted to work to build Canada and “no longer be negative.”
D’Entremont, a self-described red conservative, said he also got carried away by Carney’s first budget, which included more money for infrastructure, fishing, agriculture and the military. Those are crucial industries in its rural tour of Nova Scotia, which also includes a Canadian Armed Forces base that will benefit from increased government defense spending.
D’Entremont said the Liberals promised him nothing in exchange for crossing the floor.
Carney said he admires d’Entremont for making the decision to leave.
“This is a time when we must act boldly,” Carney said, adding that he and d’Entremont are “aligned” on what is best for the country as it faces economic threats amid U.S. tariffs.
“This is the time to come together as much as possible in the interest of our country,” Carney said.
Asked if he had had conversations with other MPs about joining the Liberals, Carney said: “We will talk to anyone, publicly or otherwise, who can support us.”
“I will speak to members and deputies across the House.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he admires Chris d’Entremont’s decision to reach out across the aisle during “this crucial time for our country.” D ‘Entremont spoke later at the event and said he did not align with the ideals of opposition leader Pierre Poilievre. The Carney government presented its first budget on Tuesday.
Conservative MP Aaron Gunn said d’Entremont’s decision to leave was “shameful”.
“I could never imagine doing something like that: misrepresenting himself to voters, lying to his volunteers. It’s only been six months since the election, the leaders are the same, the policies haven’t changed. He campaigned against budgets that look exactly like this,” Gunn said.
MP Ted Falk said he was “very disappointed” in his former caucus partner for making the jump to the other side. “It’s a betrayal of the team.”
MP Michael Chong, another Conservative, said voters formed a minority government in the last election and now Carney is trying to “manipulate that result and get a majority that Canadians didn’t elect.”
