Canadian opposition lawmaker defects to Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal government

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TORONTO (AP) — A Canadian opposition lawmaker joined Prime Minister Mark Carney's governing Liberal Party on Tuesday, a political coup on a day when the government announced its budget for the year.

Chris d’Entremont, a member of Parliament from Nova Scotia, said in a statement he's joining the government caucus because he shares Carney's economic priorities.

“Prime Minister Mark Carney is offering that path with a new budget that hits the priorities I have heard most in my riding, to build strong community infrastructure and grow a stronger economy," d’Entremont said in a statement.

“All Canadians know that the moment we face today needs all of us to lead — not with complaint, but with confidence in a strong future.”

The move puts the Liberals two seats shy of a majority government and being able to pass their budget without opposition support.

The defection is a blow to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who is facing a leadership review vote in January.

“This is a major win for Prime Minister Carney and the Liberals," said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

“This is bad news for Pierre Poilievre because of the timing of this floor crossing, less than three months before his formal leadership review, and the fact that a significant number of ideologically moderate Conservative members of parliament are dissatisfied with his leadership. This departure might embolden them.”

The budget — the title of which repurposes Carney’s election slogan “Canada Strong” — includes almost $90 billion Canadian ($64 billion) in net new spending items over five years. Most of the spending is aimed at bolstering Canada’s economy and securing its sovereignty in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies.

"The rules-based international order and the trading system that powered Canada’s prosperity for decades are being reshaped – threatening our sovereignty, our prosperity, and our values,” Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said.