Canada’s Carney on verge of majority after another Conservative MP jumps ship
Marilyn Gladu’s defection means the PM is just one seat short of the majority he says he needs to deal with Trump
A Canadian opposition legislator defected to the ruling Liberal Party on Wednesday, leaving Prime Minister Mark Carney on the verge of a parliamentary majority that would make it easier to push through his agenda.
The centrist Liberals, governing with a minority after the April 2025 election, need opposition support to pass key legislation. Carney says he needs a majority to deal with US President Donald Trump’s trade measures.
The prime minister welcomed the defection by Marilyn Gladu – a long-standing member of the right-leaning Conservatives – saying it would help the government at a time of global uncertainty.
Gladu is the fourth Conservative legislator to defect to the Liberals since November. A member of the small left-leaning New Democratic Party joined the Liberals last month.
“We need a global leader with a plan to make a more resilient Canada, a stronger Canada, a more self-reliant Canada for this critical moment and that man is our Prime Minister Mark Carney,” Gladu said during a meeting with Carney.
The Liberals now have 171 seats in the 343-seat House of Commons, one short of a majority, and look set to gain at least two more in special elections due to be held on Monday to fill vacant seats.