At Issue Why are so many MPs crossing to Carney’s team?
Mar 13, 2026
Aaron Wherry, political journalist offering polling and policy analysis; Althia Raj, columnist on party standings and campaign strategy; Chantal Hébert, veteran national columnist giving historical perspective. They discuss why MPs are switching to Mark Carney’s Liberals. They debate slim-majority consequences, NDP fallout, Canada’s Middle East stance, deportation questions, security tensions, and Poilievre’s U.S. outreach.
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MPs Join Liberals To Be On The 'Right' Side Of Big Crises
- Floor crossings are driven by MPs wanting to be on the side perceived as best suited to handle global crises rather than purely electoral calculation.
- Chantal Hébert notes MPs pick the Liberals because voters treat recent elections like job interviews and the Liberals are seen as the team to handle Trump-era turbulence.
Slim Majority Shifts Power To Backbenchers
- A narrow majority would give the Liberals control of committees but also empower backbench dissent, creating internal negotiation pressure.
- Althia Raj warns a one- or two-seat majority forces constant counting and enables backbenchers to leverage votes on specifics like NDP amendments.
Backbench Independence Could Steer Policy
- A narrow governing margin could let Liberal backbenchers exert influence and steer policy more than usual.
- Erin Weary and others point to instances like Will Graham's stance on Iran to show backbench independence already emerging.