The Liberal Party's growing roster of Conservative floor-crossers isn't happening by accident — it's the result of careful, patient cultivation by party insiders who know exactly how to pitch their vision to wavering opposition MPs.
The inside story of how Chris d'Entremont, Nova Scotia's Conservative member of Parliament, became the first Conservative to cross the floor to Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals reveals a sophisticated recruitment strategy built on personal relationships, shared values, and strategic timing.
The August Conversation That Started It All
According to Liberal MP Kody Blois, the effort to woo d'Entremont ramped up in August when the Nova Scotia MP was returning from Newfoundland after a tour with a fellow Conservative MP. Blois saw an opening.
"I said, 'Let's get together,' and we had a conversation. Of course, it wasn't a high-pressure pitch," Blois told CBC's The House program on Saturday. "It was just reiterating to Chris that I think he would find a lot of relevance with our party and the way in which the prime minister was governing."
D'Entremont acknowledged the impact of that casual coffee conversation. "It probably solidified some of the thoughts that I've been having," he said in his own interview with the CBC program.
The Long Game: Months of Gentle Persuasion
What makes the Liberal strategy effective is its patience. Rather than a hard sell, multiple party members engaged d'Entremont in ongoing discussions throughout the fall. New Brunswick MP Wayne Long was particularly instrumental, speaking with d'Entremont "literally for a good month or so" before the floor-crossing in November.
Long didn't operate alone. As other Liberals began reaching out, Blois continued with light follow-ups, keeping the conversation alive without applying pressure. This multi-pronged approach gave d'Entremont space to wrestle with his decision while feeling supported by a growing chorus of voices in the Liberal caucus.
The Prime Minister Closes the Deal
When d'Entremont finally expressed interest in meeting Prime Minister Carney directly, the Liberals moved with lightning speed. Long arranged a meeting that happened within 30 minutes of the request — a gesture that signalled the seriousness of the Liberal commitment to d'Entremont's potential crossing.
That hour-long conversation proved decisive. Carney began by discussing federal investments in Acadian culture — an issue deeply personal to d'Entremont — before pivoting to broader questions about Nova Scotia's future and the Prime Minister's vision for the province.
"So he started off with a heart — with something that's so important to me," d'Entremont recalled. "But then [he] talked about what things were important, what Nova Scotia meant to him. We had a wonderful conversation over almost an hour. And to think I could sit there with the prime minister and talk about those things and be so frank was absolutely phenomenal. That was the clincher."
Carney Plays It Cool
When d'Entremont officially announced his floor-crossing, he cited Carney's budget and commitment to community infrastructure and economic growth in his riding as his reasons. Yet on Thursday, the Prime Minister maintained an air of strategic detachment, telling reporters he's "often the last to know" about floor-crossers joining his team.
That's partially true — Carney only meets with potential defectors after they've already had extensive conversations with Liberal MPs they know and trust. By the time d'Entremont sat across from Carney, the groundwork was long complete. The Prime Minister simply needed to seal what his caucus had already built.
With d'Entremont now the fifth Conservative to cross to the Liberals, the party's playbook appears to be working. And with rumours swirling about more defections to come, other opposition MPs may soon discover how persuasive a well-executed Liberal recruitment campaign can be.
This article is based on reporting from CBC Politics and interviews that aired on CBC's The House program. Read the original story at CBC News Politics.