Carney says floor-crossing MPs must support Liberal values on abortion, LGBTQ rights

By Canadian Press on April 9, 2026.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says any MP who joins his caucus must adhere to Liberal values, including support for abortion and LGBTQ rights.

Ontario MP Marilyn Gladu left the Conservative caucus to join Carney’s Liberals on Wednesday, putting the government just one seat shy of a majority ahead of three byelections next week.

Gladu is the fifth opposition MP to join the Liberals since November, and the fourth from the Conservative caucus.

But Gladu’s past comments and positions as a member of Parliament have raised questions about just how big the Liberal tent has become.

In 2021, she apologized for sharing “misinformation about the severity of COVID-19 and the safety and efficacy of vaccines” during an interview with CTV News. She was also a supporter of the 2022 “Freedom Convoy” which saw protesters angered by pandemic restrictions block the streets of downtown Ottawa with large trucks.

In 2020, she said she would allow party members to introduce bills to restrict abortion, and in 2021 she was criticized for voting against a Liberal bill that banned conversion therapy. She later issued a statement saying she “vehemently” opposes conversion therapy and supports the LGBTQ+ community.

At an unrelated news conference Thursday in Montérégie, Que., Carney was asked repeatedly about his decision to welcome Gladu into his caucus, given how some of her previous remarks contradicted some bedrock Liberal positions.

“The Liberal party always will support the right of women to choose — always, without question,” Carney said.

The prime minister said all Liberal MPs are “subscribing to the values of the party, and the core element of our mission, which is to build Canada strong for all Canadians.”

Carney praised Gladu as “one of the most collaborative members of Parliament” and said she has a history of “working across party lines on important issues” and is “really dedicated to her electors.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2026.

— With files from Sarah Ritchie

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press