Nova Scotia’s only Conservative MP didn’t switch parties out of principle but out of fear for his political future, says a former colleague.Blacklock's Reporter says Rick Perkins, ex-Conservative MP for South Shore–St. Margarets, claimed Chris d’Entremont crossed the floor to the Liberals this week to hold onto his seat, not because of any ideological shift.“Make no mistake, there is nothing in his floor crossing about principles,” Perkins said on social media. “It was about keeping his job.”Perkins said d’Entremont admitted days earlier he was worried about losing re-election. “If an election is held now I will lose my seat,” d’Entremont allegedly told him. “I might as well not run.”.D’Entremont, who won re-election by just 533 votes in April, denied being offered any patronage position to defect. “Was there anything tangible offered?” one reporter asked. “No,” he replied.The Acadie–Annapolis MP said his decision came after “re-looking at what my career is bringing and what I can do for my constituency.” He said his relationships with Liberal MPs during his time as Deputy Speaker helped convince him the governing party offered “an opportunity to help find solutions at this critical time for Canada.”“My ideals as an Easterner, of a Red Tory, quite honestly, of trying to find ways to help your community rather than oppose everything that’s happening,” said d’Entremont. .“That’s the opportunity being offered by Prime Minister Carney and the government caucus.”Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said the Liberals had courted d’Entremont since 2019. “We had been trying to recruit him for a long time,” she said. “Finally he saw the light.”When asked if the switch should trigger a byelection, Joly said, “The MP can make his decision and he has made it.”Attorney General Sean Fraser, a senior Nova Scotia minister, said there was no political pressure on d’Entremont and that the government’s focus remained on “making a difference” rather than recruiting more defectors.
