Marilyn Gladu crossed the floor from the Conservative caucus to join the Liberals because it was the “best thing” for her riding, the country and herself, the Sarnia MP said Thursday night in Montreal.
Gladu stole the opening show at the Liberal national convention after she stunned political circles across the country by unexpectedly crossing the floor from the Tories earlier this week.
After just a day in her new party, Gladu told reporters in a late-night scrum that she’s “super excited” to be at her first Liberal confab in Quebec, and she’s “proud to be part of the prime minister’s new government” at a “critical moment for the country.”
The former Conservative MP has come under scrutiny for her history of taking positions that clash with Liberal policy and for her past alignment with the Freedom Convoy and vaccine skeptics. But she showered praise Thursday evening on the Liberals’ economic agenda and pledged to promote the party’s core values.
“I will vote with the government, I will protect the rights and freedoms of women to chose, for people to be who they are and love who they love,” she said, and noted she’s “ready to support the rights of women in this country.”
Earlier in the day — in a scene carefully orchestrated for TV cameras — Prime Minister Mark Carney and an entourage of cabinet ministers walked recent Liberal convert Gladu through throngs of party members lined up in the convention hall for selfies and handshakes.
Little more than a year ago, in the waning days of Justin Trudeau’s leadership, Liberals were gloomily contemplating almost certain electoral defeat at the hands of the Conservatives.
But as Liberals gathered for their national convention Thursday, the face of the party looked a lot more like it did when Trudeau’s father ran it: a brokerage party made up of people with disparate views.
That, at least, was the impression prominent Liberals were trying to convey.
One day after Gladu left the Conservative benches to join the government side, Liberal House leader Steven MacKinnon told reporters outside the convention hall Thursday the party is “obviously extremely happy to welcome Marilyn” to the fold.
“Many people who live in Conservative ridings are responding positively to the kind of policies that Mr. Carney is putting forward, that the Liberal party is proud to put forward,” he said. “Obviously, Marilyn is one of those. We know there are others who want to be part of the positive building of the country that we’re undertaking.”
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Supporters were all smiles before the TV cameras, cheering on the fourth ex-Tory to join their ranks.
Cabinet ministers and party members defended her decision to cross the floor.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the “party of government” should be able to host “all perspectives within Parliament.”
“I welcome Marilyn Gladu with open arms, as I have with Lori Idlout and all the others,” he said, mentioning the former New Democrat who crossed the floor to the Liberals last month.
“Ultimately, we will keep expanding and make sure we’re an open and welcome place for Canadians of all political stripes to join.”
Health Minister Marjorie Michel said Gladu is welcome under the party’s “real big tent.”
“If people are coming to us, I think it’s because we’re more welcoming maybe than others,” she said.
Liberal MP Chris D’Entremont, the first of the four former Conservatives to cross the aisle since late last year, said it’s time to “put our political sides aside and actually focus on the things that are important for Canadians.”
“That’s what you saw in the floor crossings and I think that’s what you’re seeing in the Canadian citizenship where they’re looking across Canada and saying, ‘That guy’s got a plan that makes sense to me,'” he said.
Bill Kudla, a former supporter of the late NDP leader Jack Layton, ran in 2025 for the Liberals in a New Brunswick riding but was defeated by the Conservative incumbent Rob Moore. He said Canadians should be allowed to change their political views and that now is the time to band together in the face of American aggression.
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“To have a stable government for four years while (U.S. President Donald Trump) is in power is extremely important. I’d rather not run again right now in lieu of having a stable government so that we can fight back,” he said.
The opposition floor crossers have brought a majority government within reach for the Carney Liberals — though MacKinnon and other cabinet ministers said they did not want to count their chickens before they hatch.
The convention kicked off just ahead of three byelections scheduled for Monday, two in Liberal strongholds. The results are expected to grant the Liberals a majority mandate without the need to call a general election.
The party is also riding high in the polls nationally. Polling aggregator 338Canada has the Liberals at 45 per cent support.
Zita Astravas, a consultant with Wellington Advocacy and Trudeau’s former director of issues management, said Liberals from across the country are “feeling pretty good” right now.
“There’s a spring in people’s steps being a Liberal in politics right now,” she said.
“It’s not about patting themselves on the back, but momentum and energy are important in a political party,” said Jonathan Kalles, a consultant with McMillan Vantage who formerly served as Quebec adviser to Trudeau. “Right now the Liberals have it, so it’s an opportune time to get everyone together.”
Carney is set to address the convention on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET — the first time he has done so since winning the leadership.
Kalles said many at the party level still know little about Carney and the convention offers a way for them to get to know him, and for party brass to check the pulse of the grassroots.
That’s going to become increasingly important for Carney as the caucus gets more diverse and more challenging to manage, he said.
“With people that have such diverse points of view and are fairly ideological, that becomes a challenge. Most Liberals may lean one side or the other, but I would say they are not particularly ideological,” Kalles said. “I don’t know that it’s sustainable in the long term.”
Cameron Ahmad, a former director of communications for Trudeau, said five months of floor crossers in Parliament sends “a really strong signal that the party is doing well” and shows the party remains an “inclusive and welcoming place.”
Ahmad said Carney has re-energized the party and he remembers feeling a similar electricity in the air when Trudeau was first elected leader.
“There was such a breath of fresh air into the party and people felt like there was a renewal,” Ahmad said.
Azam Ishmael, the Liberal party’s national director, boasted Thursday that the party expects a “record-breaking number” of supporters to attend the convention — around 4,500 members.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2026.
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Longtime Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu crosses floor to Liberals -
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Carney says Gladu will vote with government on social issues -
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Longtime Conservative Marilyn Gladu crosses floor, Liberals 1 seat shy of majority -
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Another floor crossing brings Carney’s government ever-closer to a majority -
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Pierre Poilievre condemns latest Liberal floor-crossing, Carney’s ‘backroom deals’ -
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Liberals kick off convention after latest Tory defection
What a selfish person, reflects the values of the Liberals for sure. Perfect fit.
Go F*ck yourself Gladu! Nothing but a turncoat. We will see what your consituents think in the by-election! I hope they roast your f*t azz.
YOU MEAN , THE BEST THING FOR YOUR BANK ACCOUNT
I don’t care what party you belong to, you should not be able to do this. She should be forced to serve as an Independent representative or there should be an election called for her riding. Her constituents did not vote for a Liberal MP so this is just wrong.
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She’s just another traitor to her constituents and party (just like the other floor crossers). Lack of integrity and a hypocrite, should fit right in with Liberals (that’s their standard).
Just another self serving hypocrite in the world of Canadian Politics.
She has obviously found her “true home” now in the Liberal Party
Not even a week and Marilyn is already sounding like a Liberal. ” I know what’s best for you”.
This is not what the people want, if the Liberals want a clear mandate, call an election.
YEAH ! HOW MUCH TAXPAYERS MONEY DID YOU POCKET MARILYN. OF COURSE, UNDER the TABLE ??? I’M ALL EARS
HOW, HOW Ms. Gladu is joining a party that continues to spend and spend and spend ALL our tax dollars and hands it all over to Quebec and Ontario the BEST THING to happen to ALL CANADIANS? Putting US ALL deeper and deeper in DEBT? That was the right thing to do. Hope that your riding FIRES YOU next election. YOU back stabber.
Quick, get the water wings, we’re all drowning in c*ntservative tears!!
And to IM CITIZEN – “just say no to rw nutjobs” – we already did that by not allowing Paperboy Pete to run the country.
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She is just a traitor. Pure and simple she got bought off by liberal money. Wait and see she’ll get some cabinet position or cushy high pay job down the line.
Any line crossers she immediately go be to an election to see what her constituency wants. Do the voters there really want a liberal in power in their riding????? Let the voters decide for themselves what they want.
Launch a class action lawsuit for her voters and the Conservative riding association should also sue her to recover eluding costs. Maybe that will, figuratively speaking, slap the reality of what she has done into her. Nothing hurts politicians more than a hit on their personal finances. There is more than enough evidence to press forward with the suits.
She should produce emails and telephone logs to back her claim that her constituents want her to transition from a strong social conservative to a left wing Liberal.
But we all know she won’t do that don’t we. She appears to be a chameleon who changes based on what is happening around her and is yet again using her constituents to achieve that.
Don’t get too comfortable, Marilyn, you won’t be there long!
Mark Carney the Pied Piper calling the rats.
That was Lisa Raitt
I don’t think one can pretend their constituents agree with her choice in such a Conservative dominated stronghold. She did it for herself no doubt with some reward I am certain. I think the riding association and donors should sue her for all cost related to her election as a Conservative candidate. Many of these MPs are under the impression we vote for them personally, we do not we vote for the party platform. If we happen to like them it’s a bonus but it isn’t the reason we voted for them. Would be interesting to see if she went to by election in the same riding as a Liberal candidate what the outcome would be.
And if there was any truth to that you should have run on the liberal ballot…..
This is obviously a total sham . Her policies are too right wing for many Conservatives.
Her voters protesting outside her office say differently.
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Members that cross the floor. Should have to seat as independent
Member. Alternatively resign and force a by election.
What a traitor to her people… This should trigger an election. How dishonest can you get?
Fcking batch. They should all be fired. Corrupted governments.
Yea … keep telling yourself that … traitor !
Why do we vote, IF our vote means NOTHING??? Her constituents voted Conservative ….. WHY DO WE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN?????
I wonder how much $$$$$ was exchanged!!!!!!! which came from Carney’s personal finances, so no one in Governmentr can trace it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, right. Just ask the people who voted for this CON how they feel. 🤬
Disgusting
This should be punishable with a a 30 year jail stint in a hard labour prison camp.
“I will protect the rights of women to choose.”
Choose what, exactly?
So she said. But, when did she put herself above the people of the riding. Appears she thinks herself above those people.However, the bigger question is what was she offered from the Liberals to cross?
When killing babies and supporting degeneracy are your primary reasons for joining the Liberals, good riddance.
Did she get Brookfield shares or did Carney pay her out of Tax Dollars- they are Bankrupt !!!
It Must not be Allowed she was voted for By Conserative people not Liberals.
Filthy piece of crop.
Why should we vote?? Only to have turncoats cross the floor after we voted for the party in good faith! This is not ethical, democratic, nor is it the Canada I knew.
Shame on the Liberals for accepting this untrustworthy traitor.
I have given up on politics……politicians have replaced lawyers for their lack of ethics!
As much as I think the conservative party is complete trash, I think that switching sides should cause an automatic re-election. People’s votes should matter.
Cowards. Betraying 95% of the people who vote for you. 95% vote based on party platform not individual running. Bunch of traitors and sellouts.
She’s a traitor, how much did she get from cornhole carney, this is a pure disgrace the people from Sarnia voted for a PC not a crooked liberal, there should be new election let her voter decide, this whole thing smells of skunk, frauds cheaters & pure crooks, the whole election was rigged from the begining,
Liar
What a joke Canada is. She is a traitor.
Gladu is a rw fascist racist sexist sht for brains. Carney is splitting progressives. Bad move. Just say no to rw nutjobs!
Pound her office with phone calls, emails or whatever, 7 days a week telling them what you think of them. Only in Crapnada.
Carney no doubt made an offer she couldn’t refuse…she will regret falling for him at the next election.
Democracy is dead – there is zero faith in the electoral process when bags of cash can buy out any MP to build a majority government, voting has zero meaning – i am done with believing in this corruption scheme.
All other opposition members in parliament should cross the floor too . That way the Liberals will have there ill-gotten majority that no one voted for . What a joke.Traitors.
Since liberal party is such a great party for Canada, then I suggest all conservatives should cross the floor. One country, one party like in every “perfect” communist country.
We don’t even need to vote since it doesn’t matter anyway. Let them install themselves as they please, after all we are just working bees and tax payers.
They don’t work for us, they don’t represent us, they are there for themselves only (money, power, influence).
My guess, you have a better chance having a voice for your constituents in Govt rather than in opposition. Carney has a huge tent, much like Chretien had. I guess whatever works for you.
She is such a hypocrite! She herself said floor crossing should not be allowed and if someone crosses the floor that there should be a new election held in that riding. No wonder her constituents are upset! It’s an absolute betrayal for sure.
I know her to be a very intelligent person but this is very disappointing behaviour,a lot of soul searching in the future may have to been done on her part.I will leave it at that
seems kinda crazy an MP telling her riding whats best for them. Good luck next election cycle
Indeed the voters should be deciding this. Unelected undemocratic majority government coming soon, thanks to the CDN political loophole.
If she crosses the floor shouldn’t there be a election we didn’t vote her as a liberal
Not true . She is lying to herself and her fellow Canadian Concervative party Constituents in the Sarnia area.
She should allow by-election takes place in her riding ASAP
Just my opinon. If who ever was elected no longer wants to support their party. They they need to step down , so another election can be held. If the person decides to run again, then they run as a candidate for another political party.
Shouldn’t the voters be the ones deciding this?
Absolutely sick that Canada has stooped so low as to ignore the people’s vote and do what they want. These floor crossers need to be booted out and a byelection called as soon as they change parties.. Us Conservatives never voted Liberal and never will…Traitor needs to be thrown out of parliament
Why vote?
Such a pig. Why vote anymore?
She wasn’t voted in as liberal.shoukd resign,any floor crosses should resign,they weren’t voted in as liberal
She was voted in as a conservative not a liberal ,crossing over is NOT what the voters voted for. A true disgrace
I dont know how much money she got under the table to change the party. “Corruption” got promotion now.
About the latest floor crosser that cited getting a trade deal (with the U.S.) as the reason.
If Carney spent the past year repeatedly jet setting around the planet getting us magnificent trade deals with Europe, China, Japan, Australia, etc.,, why in the heck do we have to get a deal with the US now?
corruption at it’s finest?
Im personally excited to see her stand up for the supreme court appeal on the emergencies act, if she had her mind changed maybe she can change other minds /s
I’ll take “Things that Didn’t Happen” for $500 Alex!
Marilyn Gladu is a Traitorous bench crosser and there needs to be a by-election due to this dirty act
How is that she thinks and gets to decide whats best for her riding!! Sick of this mickey mouse circus in our government
So she ignored the voters who chose what party they wanted to represent them, and decided to do what she “thinks is best”. I can’t think of a better way to show Canadians that their votes don’t matter at all, as these politicians can change teams whenever they want, based on their own personal preferences.
I don’t think it’s right for a member of parliament to cross the floor. The people of the the riding voted for a certain party it should remain that party till voted out
She will not get my vote in the next election. Sounds like she’s fibbing her nose at all the constituents who voted her in as conservative. I think she is only an MP pension grabber. Only looking out for herself and not for riding.
This move contradicts everything she claims to stand for. So very suspicious. Did she get threatened or bribed?
What helped her cross the floor.
A forklift
Gladu likes it up the Dudu Dudu brown!!
So this traitor said its the “best thing” for her riding and herself but nowhere did she elaborate and give the reasons why she crossed the floor which only makes people very suspicious of her motives.
This looks like this is a sneaky trick to infiltrate the Liberals with conservative secret agendas.
She is a pathetic traitor. These turncoats should all be made to pay back all the donations given to get them elected. They need to change this and have a re-election for these seats. This is like she is giving all those who voted for her a punch in the face.
This will only help Alberta get out of this disaster of a country. Obviously Canada is not a true Democracy. Hope Marilyn Gladu gets everything she deserves. Was the pay-off worth selling your soul to the devil Marilyn?
Never before in the history of Canada has a floor crosser ever guaranteed a majority government for any party, ever.
But of course, Global, leave that part out.
The wishes of the Canadian people to have constraints put on Carney(minority government) were just subverted by undemocratic means.
In other words, your vote was just nullified, if you voted to constrain Mark Carney.