In damage control after 2 departures, Conservatives accuse Liberals of 'undemocratic' distractions
CBC
Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer held a brief media availability Friday morning in an attempt to redirect attention from the Official Opposition's internal crisis to the Liberal Party.
Instead, the senior Conservative was pelted with questions about Edmonton Riverbend MP Matt Jeneroux’s surprise decision to quit federal politics six months after an election. The move came two days after former Conservative MP Chris d'Entremont defected to the Liberals.
According to a senior Liberal source, Jeneroux met with Prime Minister Mark Carney this week.
“I guarantee you if you stop 100 people on any street in this country they are not interested in palace intrigue,” said Scheer, not long before walking off-mic after four minutes of questions.
“We're not going to let Liberal sources distract from the budget.”
Political circles have very much been sent into a frenzy about what’s going on inside the Conservative Party and what shifting support could mean for Carney’s government to get bills, like the budget, passed through Parliament.
Budget week is usually a communications gold mine for opposition parties — especially when the government’s spending plan includes a $78-billion deficit. But the Conservatives have been knocked off message.
The same night Jeneroux announced he was leaving, the Conservatives’ first attempt to bring down Carney’s budget (through an amendment confidence vote) failed. A handful of Conservatives abstained.
Leader Pierre Poilievre has not held any public news conferences or scrummed with reporters and is now facing questions about his leadership and influence over his caucus.
After crossing the floor, d'Entremont said he was disaffected with Poilievre's leadership style and that some of his former caucus mates "are in the same boat.”
Conservative sources said Jeneroux was under pressure to stay on from some in the party. But in a statement Thursday, Jeneroux said coercion played no role in his decision.
Former Conservative campaign manager Jenni Byrne, who is still an adviser to the party, has been involved in the party's efforts to quash possible floor-crossings, the sources said.
Scheer accused the Liberals of being the ones harassing Conservatives, speeding up Jeneroux’s decision to leave.
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