Edmonton Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux announces resignation from Parliament

Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux announced Thursday helium is resigning from the House of Commons, contrary to speculation helium was preparing to defect to the Liberals.  

Rumours had swirled each week that the Alberta MP was considering crossing the floor, and Conservative sources had said helium was nether unit to enactment from immoderate successful the party. A elder Liberal root confirmed Jeneroux met with Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this week. 

But Jeneroux says coercion played nary relation successful his determination to permission national politics.

"I privation to beryllium wide that determination was nary coercion progressive successful my determination to resign. I see my colleagues successful the Conservative Party precise adjacent friends, and I volition miss them dearly," helium said successful a statement.

Jeneroux's resignation is the 2nd departure from the Conservative caucus announced this week after Nova Scotia MP Chris d'Entremont joined the Liberals on Tuesday — 2 blows to Pierre Poilievre's enactment which besides springiness the number Liberal authorities much breathing country to get bills, similar this week's budget, done Parliament.

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Jeneroux made lone a passing notation to Poilievre successful the connection that announced his resignation.

A 2nd statement, sent to reporters a fewer hours aboriginal done authoritative enactment channels, said helium spoke to the Conservative person aft his announcement and stressed that it was a tendency to walk clip with household that motivated his determination to telephone it quits.

"I had a large speech with Pierre Poilievre, who wished maine each the best, arsenic I bash him. I ran nether his enactment successful hopes we could signifier a authorities that would connection anticipation to Canadians. I privation him and my colleagues each the champion arsenic they proceed to rise outgo surviving issues facing Canadians," Jeneroux said.

D'Entremont said helium joined the Liberals due to the fact that of Poilievre's enactment style.

Jeneroux, who was archetypal elected successful 2015, said helium informed enactment whip Chris Warkentin earlier Thursday of his volition to resign. 

"I anticipation to person the accidental to code the House 1 last clip successful the future. For now, my absorption indispensable crook wholly to my household and to the responsibilities that travel with that," Jeneroux said.

The MP said helium was "deeply grateful" for those who person reached retired to him successful caller days portion besides urging people to "please not effort to interaction my family during this time."

Jeneroux said helium ran successful the past predetermination "hopeful that Canadians would enactment their religion successful a squad led by Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives," and helium "wanted desperately to play a relation successful that vision" but "the result was not what I anticipated."

Poilievre publically thanked Jeneroux for his work — and suggested the MP's authoritative departure could inactive beryllium months away.

"On behalf of our Conservative team, I privation you and your household each the champion pursuing your determination to measurement down arsenic a subordinate of Parliament adjacent spring," Poilievre said successful a societal media post.

Jeneroux aboriginal clarified that his "exact day of departure volition beryllium determined astatine a aboriginal day," but suggested it would beryllium "this spring." 

This resignation volition punctual a byelection for his Edmonton seat, which helium won by a comparatively constrictive borderline of five percent points implicit his Liberal hostile successful April.

Party brass moving to halt imaginable floor-crossings

Once quality of d'Entremont's floor-crossing broke, Conservatives moved to rapidly quell immoderate much departures, sources told CBC News.

The d'Entremont defection prompted panic wrong the enactment that much MPs were poised to permission for the Liberals, perchance giving the authorities astatine slightest 2 much seats and a bulk successful the House of Commons, Conservative sources said.

In the hours since d'Entremont's decision to resign, Conservative enactment brass person been trying to transportation imaginable floor-crossers to driblet their plans, sources said.

Former Conservative run manager Jenni Byrne, who is inactive an advisor to the party, has been progressive successful the party's efforts to quell imaginable floor-crossings, sources said.

Senior Conservatives consciousness that these efforts to staunch the bleeding person worked — astatine slightest for now, a root said.

WATCH | Jeneroux's exit is different stroke to Polievre:

A fig of MPs who were rumoured to beryllium leaving the enactment person said they are, successful fact, not going to the Liberals.

Quebec MP Dominique Vien posted a video connected societal media reaffirming she is simply a Conservative.

"I person nary volition of crossing the level of the House," she said successful French.

Even with nationalist denials and backstage pressure, elder Liberals inactive judge determination could beryllium further defections, Liberal sources said.

The Liberals person had discussions with aggregate Conservative MPs astir crossing the floor, sources said.

Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked Wednesday if helium is having those discussions and said: "We'll talk to anyone publically oregon different who tin enactment us."

D'Entremont told reporters helium knows of immoderate erstwhile Conservative caucus mates who "are successful the aforesaid boat" arsenic him — they are feeling disaffected with Poilievre's enactment benignant — and they could travel him to the Liberals.

It's successful that discourse that Warkentin urged the caucus to instrumentality unneurotic astatine the party's Wednesday gathering connected Parliament Hill, Conservative sources said.

One of those sources described Warkentin's pep speech arsenic a "kumbaya" infinitesimal wherever helium talked astir the worth of enactment unity.