Matt Jeneroux, a longtime Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) from Alberta confirmed that he is resigning from Parliament on Thursday.Although he did not ultimately confirm the reason for his resignation, which he delivered during the vote on the Conservative budget motion, Jeneroux stated that he does “hope to have the opportunity to address the House one final time in the future.”Jeneroux also lamented that he “ran in the last election hopeful that Canadians would put faith in a team led by Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, offering a chance to change Canada’s perception in our own country and around the world. I wanted desperately to play a role in that vision.”Curiously, Jeneroux’s resignation from Parliament was delivered during the vote on the Conservative budget motion. Moreover, Jeneroux resigned merely one day after he not only denied rumours that he might ‘cross the floor’ and join the Liberal Party of Canada, but firmly reiterated that he would remain a member of the Conservative Party.On Wednesday, Jeneroux’s Office released an official statement declaring that “Despite the rumours being circulated in Ottawa, MP Jeneroux is not crossing the floor and is remaining a member of the Conservative caucus.”Jeneroux’s ‘retirement’ comes mere days after another Conservative MP, Chris d’Entremont, abandoned his voters and crossed the floor to become a member of the Liberal Party, due to the fact that “Pierre Poilievre had the wrong focus” and the Conservative caucus itself did not support his bid to become Speaker.Various Conservative MPs have rejected the notion Jeneroux's resignation was a consequence of any internal politics or conflict within the Conservative Party of Canada. For instance, MP Shuv Majumdar declared “I think a lot of the press want to make it political. I think this is an opportunity for the press to pile on.” Furthermore, the Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre, released a statement wherein he thanked Jeneroux for his “decade of service to the people of Edmonton Riverbend.” and reiterated that “On behalf of our Conservative team, I wish you and your family all the best following your decision to step down as a Member of Parliament next spring.”Even Jeneroux himself has confirmed that "there was no coercion involved in [his] decision to resign" and that his "exact date of departure will be determined at a later day but likely this spring."In contrast, numerous Liberal MPs have openly claimed that Jeneroux’s resignation was absolutely the result of tension and strife within the CPC.Former Minister of National Defence, Bill Blair, opined “I think [Jeneroux] was dealing with some criticism within his own party and that was difficult for him.” Similarly, Liberal MP Ryan Turnbull declared that Jeneroux’s resignation is a “sign of a rift in the Conservative Party”.Jeneroux was first elected in 2015 to represent the Alberta riding of Edmonton Riverbend, and he was previously the Shadow Minister for Supply Chains. Jeneroux also served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and he is “only the second elected official to pass private members’ legislation in both a provincial legislature and the House of Commons.
