Poilievre won’t rule out whether more Conservative MPs will cross floor to Liberals

Pierre Poilievre addresses caucus defections, denies leadership issues and outlines how he would tackle affordability and grocery prices.

Less than one week after the Conservatives lost another MP to the Liberals, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre won’t explicitly rule out whether more of his caucus members will cross the floor.

“I think Canadians have a reasonable expectation that when you run on a platform to bring down the cost of living, to control spending, to lock up criminals, that you shouldn’t then go and join the party. That’s doing precisely the opposite,” Poilievre said in a year-end interview with CTV News Chief Political Correspondent Vassy Kapelos, when asked directly about that possibility.

Last week, rookie MP Michael Ma, who represents the Ontario riding of Markham-Unionville and was first elected in this year’s federal election, unexpectedly crossed the floor from the Conservatives to the Liberals.

The move brings the Liberals to 171 seats, just one vote shy of a majority.

Ma is the third MP since November to leave Conservative ranks.

Hours after the federal budget on Nov. 4, Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont defected to the Liberals, saying he no longer “aligned with the ideals of what the leader of the Opposition had been talking about.”

That same week, Alberta MP Matt Jeneroux was rumoured to be crossing the floor until he announced he would be resigning his seat next spring.

On Monday, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson – who sources tell CTV News played a key role in recruiting Ma – told reporters that he is “getting lots of inquiries” from other MPs who are considering defecting.

Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon, meanwhile, said late last week there are more Conservative members who are “extremely frustrated” with the leadership of the party.

When asked by Kapelos about those comments, Poilievre accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of “trying to manipulate an undemocratic majority.”

“If Mark Carney believes that he should have a majority to go ahead with the high-cost policies he’s running on, then he should get that mandate from Canadians in an election, not through dirty backroom deals,” Poilievre later added.

Pressed by Kapelos on why Carney – and not his leadership – is to blame for Conservatives defecting, and why he isn’t displaying any contrition, Poilievre admitted he is “troubled” by the floor crossings, but he will continue to focus on affordability issues for Canadians.

“I appreciate the obsession around this place with the palace intrigue and the interpersonal debates, but what really matters is whether people can actually put food on the dinner table every night,” Poilievre said.

“I’m the only one who’s been consistently championing the right of people who work hard, to have decent food, to have a good home, to live on a safe street, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

Poilievre says his future ‘up to the members of our party’

Poilievre is set to face a leadership review at the Conservative Party of Canada National Convention at the end of January.

Asked by Kapelos if he will stay on as leader even if another MP crosses the floor to give the Liberals a majority, Poilievre said “that will be up to the members of our party.”

“I am fighting for them. I’m fighting for them every day and in every way, and they will decide in the convention if they want me to stay,” Poilievre said.

When pressed if he will be at the convention no matter what happens next, Poilievre simply said “yes.”

In a previous interview with CTV Question Period back in September, Poilievre said there is not a specific level of support he is looking to secure in that leadership review.

“No, I don’t believe in magic,” Poilievre said at the time when asked if he has a “magic number” in mind.

You can catch the full interview with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on CTV Question Period Sunday at 11 a.m. ET.

With files from CTV News’ Brennan MacDonald