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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will hold a news conference on Wednesday — the first time he’ll address reporters since two of his MPs announced last week they are leaving caucus.
He’s set to speak around 12:45 p.m. ET from Calgary and CBC will be carrying the event live.
Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont crossed the floor to the Liberals, citing his opposition to Poilievre’s supposedly “negative” leadership style and what he said was an aggressive confrontation in his office with two senior Conservatives.
Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux, who was also rumoured to be considering crossing the floor, announced he is quitting politics altogether sometime in the new year.
Those defections, which sources say caused panic in the Conservative Party, have given the minority Liberal government more breathing room to get its agenda through Parliament. It also brings the Liberals closer to a majority of seats in the House of Commons.
Conservative leader critical of budget
Poilievre delivered a post-budget speech to a business audience in Toronto late last week but did not address the departures or reports that party operatives have been calling around to try to convince other potential floor-crossers to stay put.
Poilievre will also likely speak to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s commitment to release the next tranche of major projects that are getting fast-tracked approvals on Thursday.
Poilievre has been highly critical of Carney’s budget — and its $78-billion deficit — and skeptical of his avowed commitment to build more faster.
“Mr. Carney’s solution to too much government blocking our resource projects is to create another government department,” Poilievre said Friday.
“Building an oil pipeline — it’s clearly not going to get done under his watch.”