MONTREAL, Nov 6, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's party is moving closer to a parliamentary majority after the surprise defection of a Conservative MP, who joined the Liberals just days before a pivotal budget vote.

Chris d'Entremont, a Nova Scotia MP, on Tuesday announced his decision to resign from the opposition Conservative Party and defect to the ruling party.

He resigned the same day that Carney's government unveiled its first budget, a spending plan which could break his government if Parliament votes it down.

"Chris's decision to join the government caucus at this crucial time for our country is exceptionally valuable and important," Carney said Wednesday.

D'Entremont's defection to the Liberal Party puts the government within two seats of clinching a majority. Last April, after a historic election, Carney's Liberals fell short by only three seats.

"It's time to actually try to lead...a country, to try to make it better, and not try to knock it down, not to continue to be negative," d'Entremont said Wednesday about his decision to switch political camps.

He hinted that other Conservatives were considering defecting as well.

D'Entremont, who describes himself as a "red conservative," justified his decision by denouncing the leadership style of Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Party head whose populist and provocative tone has been criticized by some within the party ranks.

"Rather than knocking people down we should try to find ways to work together," d'Entremont said.

On Tuesday, Carney's government presented a spending plan aimed at overhauling an economy reeling from US tariffs and that economists forecast will slow in 2026.

Carney's spending plan will be put to a vote in Parliament, expected in mid-November. Failure to pass it could bring down his government and plunge the country into its second election in less than a year.

The prime minister, who entered politics only in January, is seeking to garner all possible support to pass this "historic" but heavily deficit-ridden budget.

Under the proposed 2025-26 budget, the national deficit would reach Can$78.3 billion ($55.5 billion) -- nearly twice as large as last year's budget.

When asked about potential discussions with Conservative MPs, Carney said: "We'll speak to anyone, publicly, or otherwise that can support us."

D'Entremont's breaking from the party reflects dissenting voices within the Conservative Party regarding the direction taken by Poilievre, according to Frederic Boily, a political science professor at the University of Alberta.

"Two more defections and we end up with a majority government; that would be quite something," he told AFP.