A tale of two caucuses: Liberals cheer newest members, while Conservatives look to the ‘long game’

The Liberal party celebrates new members of Parliament who won recent byelections on April 15, 2026. Photo by HYUNGCHEOL PARK /Postmedia

Article content

OTTAWA — Liberal MPs were living in the moment on Wednesday, lining up to offer thunderous applause to the party’s newest MPs as they arrived for a caucus meeting.

Article content

Conservatives, on the other hand, have their attention focused far into the future, playing the “long game,” and emphasizing the party’s unity behind leader Pierre Poilievre.

Article content

Article content

Both caucuses met on Parliament Hill for the first time since Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government saw its status elevated to majority thanks to three byelection wins on Monday — but it was in large part thanks to five MPs who had previously crossed the floor, leaving them one seat shy of hitting that 172-seat threshold before Monday’s votes were even cast.

Article content

Article content

Four of those came from the Conservatives, including last week when southwestern Ontario MP Marilyn Gladu stunned many by defecting to the Liberals after spending her recent years in Parliament espousing right-wing and social conservative positions on issues like COVID-19 and the Liberals’ latest anti-hate bill. Carney has since said she will vote with the government in Parliament.

Article content

Article content

Gladu’s exit, coupled with Carney clinching his majority government which could allow him to govern until 2029, has raised fresh questions about Poilievre’s handle on his caucus and his future as party leader. But heading into Wednesday’s meeting, the first time Conservative MPs have met behind closed-doors since those two events happened, none were showing signs suggesting any of his 140-member caucus were prepared to air their grievances, at least publicly.

Article content

Ontario MP Andrew Lawton, one of two dozen members elected under Poilievre during the last election, pointed to the leader’s record of winning overwhelming support from party delegates during his January leadership review and his recent attempts to broaden his appeal, speaking to podcasts and travelling both to the U.S. and Europe, his first international trips since becoming party leader back in 2022.

Article content

Article content

“I think this is a long game that we’re playing,” Lawton said. “We’re prepared to do that work, but I absolutely stand behind Pierre Poilievre as our leader.”

Article content

Prime Minister Mark Carney walks to a Liberal caucus meeting with newly elected members of Parliament Tatiana Auguste, Danielle Martin and Doly Begum on Parliament Hill in Ottawa April 15, 2026. Photo by Blair Gable /Postmedia

Article content

Successive public opinion polls suggest the Liberals under Carney to be enjoying a double-digit lead over Poilievre’s Conservatives, including in must-win regions for any party like Ontario.

Article content

A Postmedia-Leger poll released on April 1 suggests that 48 per cent of decided voters say they would support Carney’s Liberals, well ahead of the 34 per cent who say they would cast a ballot for the Conservatives, with only six per cent picking the New Democrats. Nearly 60 per cent of respondents surveyed also suggested they were satisfied with Carney’s job performance to date as prime minister, including on the international stage.

Article content

The Conservatives also saw their share of the vote drop in Monday’s three byelections since voters last cast a ballot in those same ridings in last April’s election. Melissa Lantsman, one of the Conservatives’ deputy leaders who represents the Greater Toronto Area riding of Thornhill, said those were previously Liberal-held seats.