There is obviously something amiss with the way the Conservative Party of Canada chooses its candidates. One Conservative MP jumping ship is a surprise, two is an unfortunate coincidence but three? Especially one from Alberta? There’s something wrong with candidate selection.Not that one should expect – or desire – cookie-cutter conservative views and opinions in the Conservative caucus. Blind, unthinking commitment to the party line is something you expect in the Liberals. But sometimes you wonder if these people have even heard of Sir John A. Macdonald, never mind Edmund Burke.Last November, Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont bailed on the party, followed shortly by Michael Ma from Ontario. Now Matt Jeneroux – an Alberta MP – has crossed the floor..The Edmonton Riverbend MP, who has held his seat since 2015 through four federal elections, announced his switch earlier today. Those trying to figure out his motivations need look no further than his plum appointment by Mr. Carney as special advisor on economic and security partnerships. No mystery there. Obviously he’s an opportunist. But it leaves this question: Notwithstanding being chosen four times to represent a conservative point of view in Edmonton, how much of a conservative was he to begin with?Let's start with the basics: Jeneroux wasn't exactly a conservative firebrand. Over his decade in federal politics, plus a prior stint as a provincial MLA from 2012 to 2015 under Alberta's Progressive Conservatives, he held various shadow cabinet roles, including health, infrastructure, supply chains, innovation, and housing.These are solid, workmanlike positions where an MP can do useful things, but they didn't propel him into the spotlight as an activist MP – the kind who champions bold reforms or draws fire from critics. It’s notable that in a media landscape where outspoken conservatives often face sharp scrutiny from Canada's semi-official news agency, the CBC, Jeneroux's relative invisibility speaks volumes. Perhaps Mr. Grok missed something, but my memory and a quick online search of the CBC yields mostly neutral coverage: reports on his 2025 resignation announcement, speculation about coercion from party brass, and questions about Poilievre's leadership grip..Missing are the blistering critiques and exposés on controversial stances. If the CBC is the litmus test for conservative activism – which is arguably unarguable – then Jeneroux passed under the radar because he simply didn't rock the boat. The MPs who draw CBC ire are the ones pushing boundaries, rallying bases, or challenging the status quo. The quiet ones? They're the bumps on a log, collecting paycheques and pension credits without much fuss.Jeneroux effectively maintained a low public profile, rarely making headlines for ideological battles. His voting record tells a similar story: while aligned with the party on economic issues, he supported positions on social matters like abortion and LGBTQ+ rights that perfectly echo the Liberal point of view, earning him a “pro-abortion” and “pro-LGBT ideology” label from conservative watchdogs like Campaign Life Coalition.In a party increasingly defined by Pierre Poilievre's populist edge, Jeneroux seemed more like a relic of the old Progressive Conservative era and hardly a torchbearer for hardcore conservatism..Admittedly, he’s no fool. Canadian MPs qualify for a generous defined benefit plan after six years of service, with unreduced benefits kicking in at age 55 for pre-2016 accruals and age 65 for later ones.Jeneroux, with more than a decade in Ottawa, was already vested. Thus his November 2025 resignation announcement – framed (like that of his new friend and colleague Sean Fraser) as a family-focused exit – was unusual. Most MPs in his position ride out their term until the next election, maximizing service time and benefits.Instead, he declared an intent to step down by spring 2026, only to reverse course today and join the Liberals.Why the flip? I would never suggest it was just a negotiating tactic, that is to announce a resignation to create leverage in pursuit of a cushy advisory role that keeps him in the game and potentially enhances his post-political perks. But as Carney's special advisor, Jeneroux will now do all that and advise on strengthening alliances, trade, and security – areas aligned with his shadow experience, but just under a Liberal banner. It's a savvy move for someone eyeing a pension boost or a soft landing, especially in a minority Parliament where every defection counts.For Carney this is a win, albeit an undeserved one.In the end however, Jeneroux's journey from quiet Conservative to Liberal advisor reveals a lot about his lack of ideological conviction and even more about his instinct for political survival.His defection isn't a betrayal of conservatism – it's an admission that he wasn't all that conservative to begin with – or particularly loyal to those with whom he shared the oath of office.It is written that "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, yet lose his soul?"But for the office of special advisor on economics to Mark Carney?
