Former Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu has crossed the floor to the Liberals, becoming the latest to switch over to the government caucus and bringing Prime Minister Mark Carney just one seat away from a functional majority.
The move from Gladu, the MP for the Ontario riding of Sarnia—Lambton–Bkejwanong, comes days before three byelections are set to be held that could reset the balance of power in Parliament.
Carney and Gladu both issued statements Wednesday morning to announce the move.
“At this important moment for our country’s future, Canadians with a broad range of experience and perspectives are uniting to build Canada strong. I am honoured to welcome Marilyn Gladu today as the newest member of this government and our Liberal caucus,” Carney said in a social media post.
He noted that Gladu, who has been an MP since 2015, has “repeatedly earned recognition from colleagues across Parliament for her proven willingness to work constructively across party lines.”
Gladu said in a social media post that she was “proud to be the newest member of our new Liberal Government.”
“The past year has been like no other that Canada has ever faced, and I’ve heard clearly from constituents that you want serious leadership and a real plan to build a stronger and more independent Canadian economy,” she said in a statement from the Liberal Party.
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“That is why I have decided to join Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada’s new government as the newest member of his caucus. It is a privilege to have served as your Member of Parliament for more than a decade, and I have made a choice to do the best thing for our community’s priorities, and importantly, for our country.”
Gladu previously ran for the Conservative leadership in 2020 and is an engineer by trade.
She has also generated controversy in the past with her public comments and social conservative views.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was criticized by then-Conservative leader Erin O’Toole for downplaying the severity of the virus and the safety of vaccines in an interview. She later apologized.
Gladu also appeared to promote unproven treatments for COVID-19 and pushed for workplaces to reopen at the height of the pandemic, in comments she later said were taken out of context.
While running for the Conservative leadership in 2020 against O’Toole, Gladu said she would allow caucus members to bring forward private members bills to restrict abortion, saying it would allow for “healthy discussion.”
Gladu also sparked an angry response from the Mexican government in 2018 when she implied that many Mexican visitors to Canada are involved in the illegal drug trade.
That statement came during debate over legislation that ultimately made marijuana legal across Canada, a policy Gladu opposed.
Carney majority within reach
Gladu’s crossing to the Liberals puts the governing party at 171 seats in the House of Commons — just one seat shy of a functional majority.
That would require House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia to break ties when voting on legislation and motions. Although Scarpaleggia is a Liberal MP, he is not guaranteed to side with his party.
If the Liberals get 173 seats, that would secure a slim but “full” majority government that does not rely on the Speaker breaking ties.
Byelections are set to be held in three ridings Monday, including Terrebonne, the Quebec riding where last year’s election was called for the Liberal candidate by one vote. The Supreme Court of Canada later nullified the result after a challenge from the Bloc Quebecois.
While Terrebonne remains a toss-up between the Liberals and the Bloc, the other two byelection ridings — Scarborough Southwest and University–Rosedale, both in the Greater Toronto Area — are considered safe Liberal seats.
Carney’s Liberals were elected to government last April with 170 seats, including Terrebonne. Several Liberal MPs have also retired since then, fluctuating their seat count.
Since December, three other former Conservative MPs — Chris d’Entremont, Michael Ma and Matt Jeneroux — have crossed the floor to the Liberals, while Lori Idlout switched from the NDP to join the government caucus last month.
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