APOntario Member of Parliament Marilyn Gladu joined Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party, strengthening his path toward a majority government. Gladu said her decision to defect to the governing Liberals was influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump and his threats to Canada’s sovereignty and economy.
Trump has talked about making Canada the 51st U.S. state and has applied punishing tariffs on certain key sectors. “We need a serious leader who can address the uncertainty that has arrived due to the unjustified American tariffs,” Gladu said Wednesday, alongside Carney in his office, as quoted by news agency AP.
Gladu is the fifth Canadian lawmaker to defect to Carney and the fourth Conservative. She called it a “large Liberal tent” and said that she'd rather be inside it than outside. “She is going to be a great member of our team,” Carney said. “This all comes at a time when the country as a whole is uniting.”
The three other Conservative legislators who defected from their party to join the Liberals in recent months were Chris d’Entremont, Michael Ma and Matt Jeneroux. One member of the leftist New Democrats party, Lori Idlout, also defected to the Liberals.
Her defection puts the Liberals on the verge of having a majority government and being able to pass any bill without opposition party support. The Liberals now have 171 Members of Parliament in the House of Commons. They need 172 to secure a majority government, which would allow them to unilaterally pass any bill.
Carney has called special elections for three districts for Monday that would give the Liberals a majority government if his party wins one of them. The prime minister announced on March 8 that votes will be cast April 13 in the Toronto-area districts of Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale, which are considered safe seats for the Liberals, and in the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne, which is considered a toss-up.
Carney has moved the Liberals to the center-right since replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister in 2025 and winning a national election.
Gladu's defection is another blow to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who lost the previous national election last year and even his own seat in Parliament. He has since rejoined the House of Commons. Poilievre won a party leadership review earlier this year, but continues to have problems controlling his lawmakers.
Who is Marilyn Gladu?
Born in 1962, Marilyn Gladu is a professional engineer by trade. She worked for Dow Chemical for 21 years in a variety of roles locally and globally. Marilyn then became Engineering Manager and subsequently the Director of Engineering at Suncor before taking a consultant role at WorleyParsons, according to the official website of Marilyn Gladu.
In her consulting career, she led construction and commissioning operations, managed a team of more than one hundred engineers supporting the Shell refinery, and held the role of North American Business Director for petrochemicals and refining. She was also honored as a prestigious “Fellow” of the Canadian Academy of Engineers.
Gladu, the member of Parliament for Sarnia-Lambton near the U.S. border, served as the Ontario co-chair for Poilievre’s 2022 leadership campaign.
As the Member of Parliament for Sarnia-Lambton in 2015, Marilyn received the MacLean’s award as “Most Collegial Parliamentarian” as voted by the other members of Parliament. She served as the Official Opposition Science Critic, as well as the Chair for the Status of Women.
She has served as the Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Rail Caucus, in addition to the Vice-Chair of the Aerospace Caucus. She has also served as the Shadow Minister of Health, and the Vice Chair on the Standing Committee on Health. As one of the most respected leading members of the current Parliament, Marilyn works cooperatively and respectfully with her parliamentary peers.
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Trump has talked about making Canada the 51st U.S. state and has applied punishing tariffs on certain key sectors. “We need a serious leader who can address the uncertainty that has arrived due to the unjustified American tariffs,” Gladu said Wednesday, alongside Carney in his office, as quoted by news agency AP.
Gladu is the fifth Canadian lawmaker to defect to Carney and the fourth Conservative. She called it a “large Liberal tent” and said that she'd rather be inside it than outside. “She is going to be a great member of our team,” Carney said. “This all comes at a time when the country as a whole is uniting.”
The three other Conservative legislators who defected from their party to join the Liberals in recent months were Chris d’Entremont, Michael Ma and Matt Jeneroux. One member of the leftist New Democrats party, Lori Idlout, also defected to the Liberals.
Her defection puts the Liberals on the verge of having a majority government and being able to pass any bill without opposition party support. The Liberals now have 171 Members of Parliament in the House of Commons. They need 172 to secure a majority government, which would allow them to unilaterally pass any bill.
Carney has called special elections for three districts for Monday that would give the Liberals a majority government if his party wins one of them. The prime minister announced on March 8 that votes will be cast April 13 in the Toronto-area districts of Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale, which are considered safe seats for the Liberals, and in the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne, which is considered a toss-up.
Carney has moved the Liberals to the center-right since replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister in 2025 and winning a national election.
Gladu's defection is another blow to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who lost the previous national election last year and even his own seat in Parliament. He has since rejoined the House of Commons. Poilievre won a party leadership review earlier this year, but continues to have problems controlling his lawmakers.
Who is Marilyn Gladu?
Born in 1962, Marilyn Gladu is a professional engineer by trade. She worked for Dow Chemical for 21 years in a variety of roles locally and globally. Marilyn then became Engineering Manager and subsequently the Director of Engineering at Suncor before taking a consultant role at WorleyParsons, according to the official website of Marilyn Gladu.
In her consulting career, she led construction and commissioning operations, managed a team of more than one hundred engineers supporting the Shell refinery, and held the role of North American Business Director for petrochemicals and refining. She was also honored as a prestigious “Fellow” of the Canadian Academy of Engineers.
Gladu, the member of Parliament for Sarnia-Lambton near the U.S. border, served as the Ontario co-chair for Poilievre’s 2022 leadership campaign.
As the Member of Parliament for Sarnia-Lambton in 2015, Marilyn received the MacLean’s award as “Most Collegial Parliamentarian” as voted by the other members of Parliament. She served as the Official Opposition Science Critic, as well as the Chair for the Status of Women.
She has served as the Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Rail Caucus, in addition to the Vice-Chair of the Aerospace Caucus. She has also served as the Shadow Minister of Health, and the Vice Chair on the Standing Committee on Health. As one of the most respected leading members of the current Parliament, Marilyn works cooperatively and respectfully with her parliamentary peers.
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