Prime Minister Mark Carney says he has had discussions with floor-crossing ex-Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu about the “core values” of the Liberal Party, adding that she will “vote with the government” on any proposals around abortion and LGBTQ rights.
Gladu crossed the floor to the Liberals Wednesday, becoming the latest to switch over to the government caucus and bringing Carney just one seat away from a functional majority.
But her floor-crossing also spurred controversy because of her social conservative views and voting history.
While running for the Conservative leadership in 2020 against Erin O’Toole, Gladu said she would allow caucus members to bring forward private members bills to restrict abortion, saying it would allow for “healthy discussion.”
In 2021, Gladu was one of 62 Conservative MPs who voted against legislation outlawing conversion therapy, a discredited practice that has been used on LGBTQ Canadians.
“I had discussions, and colleagues had discussions, with Ms. Gladu about those issues. She will vote with the government if there are votes relating to any aspect of that issue as well as the rights of Canadians to be their whole selves, to love who they love, and to fully enjoy their rights under the Charters of Rights and Freedoms,” Carney told reporters after being asked specifically on Gladu’s stance on abortion.
Carney said the Liberals will continue to stand by their values, such as “defending the right of women to choose, defending same sex marriage, (opposing) anti-conversion therapy.”
“We have those core values. Those values don’t change,” he added.
The decision to welcome Gladu into the Liberal fold was in part due to her “two decades of business experience,” Carney said.
“She’s an engineer. She’s an experienced parliamentarian. She is someone who works well with other people, including across the aisle,” he said.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gladu was criticized by then-Conservative leader Erin O’Toole for downplaying the severity of the virus and the safety of vaccines in an interview. Gladu later apologized.
Gladu also appeared to promote unproven treatments for COVID-19 and pushed for workplaces to reopen at the height of the pandemic in comments she later said were taken out of context.
Get breaking National news
In 2018, Gladu also sparked an angry response from the Mexican government when she implied that many Mexican visitors to Canada are involved in the illegal drug trade.
That statement came during debate over legislation that ultimately made marijuana legal across Canada, a policy Gladu opposed.
More floor crossings?
With the Liberal government teetering on the edge of a majority, Carney was asked if Canadians could expect more floor crossings in the weekend leading up to a crucial byelection on Monday.
The Liberal policy convention is also taking place in Montreal this weekend.
“I’m often the last to know,” Carney said.
Gladu’s crossing to the Liberals puts the governing party at 171 seats in the House of Commons — just one seat shy of a functional majority.
That would require House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia to break ties when voting on legislation and motions.
Although Scarpaleggia is a Liberal MP, precedent is that Speakers vote to maintain the status quo: in practice, that means voting to allow bills to continue through the House of Commons from first reading through to committee introduction, and then against the bill when it comes to a third reading vote before moving to the Senate.
If the Liberals get 173 seats, that would secure a slim but “full” majority government that does not rely on the Speaker breaking ties.
Byelections are set to be held in three ridings Monday, including Terrebonne, the Quebec riding where last year’s election was called for the Liberal candidate by one vote.
Poilievre calls for byelection
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Gladu should face voters in her Ontario riding of Sarnia—Lambton–Bkejwanong in a byelection.
“She has said that members of Parliament that flip parties after they were elected promising to be in a different one should be forced to run in a byelection. I couldn’t agree more,” Poilievre told reporters Thursday.
Poilievre said he feels “badly” for her constituents.
“She said that she was going to stand up for the Conservative values of affordability and safety. Now she has joined the most costly Liberal government in Canadian in history going back on her word,” he added.
The floor crossings amounted to “dirty backroom deals,” Poilievre said.
“I believe that constituents in her riding and every riding should be able to petition for a byelection whenever a member of Parliament changes parties. Now, we need to put people back in charge of their country at the ballot box,” he said.
Poilievre was asked by reporters if he would reflect on the future of his leadership if more Conservative MPs crossed the floor.
“Our mandate, and my leadership, does not come from dirty backroom deals. It comes from the people of Canada,” he said, adding that he received 87 per cent of the vote in this year’s Conservative leadership review.
— With files from Global’s Sean Boynton
Canada does NOT have to get into any abortion discussions! Abortion rights in Canada are just fine as is; don’t open that can of worms!
Gladu is a Satanist. Write that in your article! She supports killing babies.
Could care less. Shes a traitor and Carney is a conman. If you like that sort of people, you need help.
TRAITOR
Abortion is a question that has been asked and answered by Canadians, and long ago. Harper knew better than to bring it up and we need to SLAM that door shut!
Hey, if liberals want to recruit traders, have at it. They fit right in with that party.
It’s pretty fascinating that few bucks can completely reverse someone’s ideology.🙄
“She’ll do whatever I pay her to do.”
Carney.
Watching Liberals tie themselves into pretzels trying to explain why this isn’t only about power and personal gain is actually quite amusing.
Gladu needs to go on a diet.
Anyone who switches party once will do it again for their own ends and should not be trusted. These people lied to the public and the people that voted for them and it should automatically trigger an election to let the people choose who represents them and their values.
She looks like she could toss carney around like a ragdoll.
Does Gladu have disabilities. It looks like she does. Perhaps MAID is warranted
Will vote with the Liberals on abortion? Please stop beating that dead horse. An issue in the USA, but has not been an issue in Canada for many years. Poilievre has firmly stated his position that he is pro-choice. Give it up already. Gladu was purchased by the LPC, end of story. No noble intentions, she named her price and Carney complied.
Never trust a fat lady. They’re full of you know what.
Treason. Insane that democracy in Canada is dead. Looks like Alberta Separation is the way to go after all.
The only reason to switch parties is strictly for personal gain. Switch to a party that is leading in the polls, is an almost guarantee of 4 more well paid years. These people only care about themselves. If they had any integrity, they would resign and run in a bi election.
so what happened to her “Christian” claim.
so her Christian claim was fake and a lie????
so her “Christian” claim was all fake and a lie….wow. No moral values at all.
How much did it cost for her to abandon her values?
“What does it profit a man, to gain the world, but to lose his own soul?”
Cash pay-outs to cross-dressers, i mean floor-crossers…will increase if we lose all three bye-elections. It’s always about timing.
These right-wing Cons seem to see some kinship with Carney.
Should I cross?
LOL. And she is right-wing. She ran against PP for leader and just signed a petition last week against floor crossing. LOL.
And Carney dosen’t need her after the bye-elections. Say what? Good news for PP.
This person has no right to vote on any bills since she is no longer representing the people who voted her into power. See how politicians change ALL THE RULES in this country with NO VOTE of the people in what used to be a democratic country. Stinks of communism to me now politicians doing what they want to do without a vote of the people. What a TOTALLY screwed up electoral system we have in Canada now.
Within an hour of her crossing, her constituents were protesting outside her office. She may want to stay in Ottawa for a while.
Abortion is not an issue in Canada. Why are the Liberals trying to resurrect that dinosaur?
Voting against Marijuana, and she got re-elected? HOW?
And most Canadians are fed up with the Alphabet soup gang and their demands for rights. Marriage is defined as between a man and a woman, so there can never be a same sex marriage. – who elected this person? – the same group who elected the Liberals and their core values of anti-oil and gas, pro native handouts and pro alphabet soup. – shame.
She looks like shes had about 10 of them