Canada’s Liberals are closer to a majority government after another opposition defection

Toronto — Another opposition lawmaker in Canada has defected to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s ruling Liberals, but has promised a majority government soon.

Opposition New Democratic interim leader Don Davies said in a statement late Tuesday night that he had decided to join MP Lori Lladout’s Liberals.

That would enable the Liberals to have a majority government and pass any bill without opposition support.

Liberal Cabinet Minister Sean Fraser welcomed ldlout to the party in a social media post.

Three opposition Conservative members defected to Carney’s Liberals in recent months.

With another lawmaker dropping out from the left-wing New Democratic Party, the Liberals will have 170 MPs in the House of Commons. They need 172 to secure a majority government, which allows them to pass any bill unilaterally.

A spokesman for Carney did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. A message left at Idlout’s office was not immediately returned.

Carney has called special elections for three constituencies that would give the Liberals a majority government if his party wins two of them.

The Prime Minister announced on March 8 that votes would be held on April 13 in the Toronto-area ridings of Scarborough Southwest, considered safe seats for the Liberals, and University-Rosedale, and the Montreal-area riding considered a toss-up.

The three Conservative members of parliament who have defected from their party to join the Liberals in recent months are Chris d’Entremont, Michael Ma and Matt Generoux.

Generoux cited Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos as helping his decision. In the speech, Carney condemned the economic coercion of great powers against smaller countries and received widespread praise and attention for his remarks, eclipsing US President Donald Trump at the gathering.

Carney has moved the Liberals to the center after replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister in 2025 and winning national elections.

“After a year as prime minister, Carney is an enduringly popular politician at home and, especially after his high-profile Jan. 20 Davos speech, a more prominent leader on the world stage,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at Montreal’s McGill University.

“Mark Carney’s Liberals have found a way to attract Conservative and NDP members of Parliament to their caucus, indicating the current political effectiveness of the prime minister’s focused approach amid ongoing domestic concerns over the economy and trade, particularly with regard to Canada-US relations,” Beland said in an email.