MP Chris d'Entremont says he joined Liberals because of Poilievre's leadership style
CBC
Nova Scotia MP Chris d'Entremont said Wednesday he left the Conservative caucus because he didn't feel represented in leader Pierre Poilievre's party anymore and bristled at his "negative" approach to politics.
D'Entremont said there are other Conservative MPs who "are in the same boat" and they may join him in crossing over to Liberals.
"In the last number of months, I wasn't feeling I was aligned with the ideals of what the leader of the Opposition had been talking about," d'Entremont told reporters of Poilievre after appearing with Prime Minister Mark Carney at a post-budget news conference, the day after he crossed the floor.
Asked what pushed him out, d'Entremont said: "It's just looking at leadership styles and whether we're doing the right thing for Canada."
D'Entremont said Canada is facing challenges and he felt it was better to be part of the solution to some of those troubles as a member of the government caucus "and not continue to be negative."
"It's time to lead a country to try and make it better and not try to knock it down," he said. "We have a great opportunity here in Canada and rather than knocking people down, we should try to find ways to work together, and that's what I've always tried to do in my career."
A self-described Red Tory, d'Entremont said he was also swayed by Carney's first budget, which includes more money for infrastructure, the fishery, farming and the military. Those are crucial industries in his rural Nova Scotia riding, which also includes a Canadian Armed Forces base that stands to gain from the government's defence spending hike.
D'Entremont said the Liberals promised him nothing in return for crossing the floor.
In an interview with CBC's Power & Politics on Tuesday, Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman alleged d'Entremont left over a past disagreement over who should serve as deputy Speaker of the House of Commons — a position d'Entremont held in the last Parliament but one that's now occupied by Conservative MP Tom Kmiec.
d'Entremont acknowledged discussions over who should serve in that role were an "awkward time" for him, but he did "move on" and that's not what brought him to this decision.
He said he just felt Carney was a better leader for the moment.
Carney said he admires d'Entremont for making the decision to leave.
"This is a time where we need to act boldly," Carney said, adding he and d'Entremont have "alignment" on what's best for the country as it faces economic threats amid U.S. tariffs.
"This is the time for us to come together as much as possible in the interest of our country," Carney said.
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