A Liberal government going conservative: what does Carney’s rule mean for the party’s identity?

The willingness of so many Conservatives to cross the aisle, with others rumoured to be following, is demonstrative of how far right the Liberal government has moved under Carney’s leadership. With the growing conservative presence in the Liberal Party, could we see a Conservative defector in cabinet?

Prime Minister Mark Carney, pictured centre on April 9, 2026, at the Liberal policy convention in Montreal with Health Minister Marjorie Michel, right, AI Minister Evan Solomon, rear, and new Liberal MP Marilyn Gladu, far right. The Hill Times photograph by Stuart Benson

Opinion

BY SARAH BEECH

April 23, 2026

TORONTO—The latest floor-crossing by former Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu brings Prime Minister Mark Carney's government closer to a majority, and it begs the question: “What makes a ‘...

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