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The Acadie–Annapolis MP crossed the floor on the morning of the 2025 federal budget, after losing his Deputy Speaker salary top-up. Democracy Watch asked the Ethics Commissioner to investigate whether the lost income was a financial motive. The Commissioner declined.
On November 4, 2025 — the morning of the federal budget — Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont became the first Conservative to cross to Mark Carney’s Liberals, six months after winning re-election by 533 votes on the Conservative ticket. Within ten days, the watchdog group Democracy Watch filed a formal complaint with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, arguing that d’Entremont’s loss of his Deputy Speaker salary top-up created a financial motive that warranted investigation under the Conflict of Interest Code. The Commissioner declined to investigate.
On the morning of November 4, 2025 — federal budget day — Conservative MP Chris d'Entremont announced he was crossing the floor to the Liberals. He was the first Conservative to join Mark Carney's caucus.
He had been re-elected six months earlier, in the April 2025 federal election, by approximately 533 votes — the smallest margin of his federal career — on the Conservative ticket. Former Conservative Party president Rob Batherson, quoted by CBC, said d'Entremont had "betrayed his voters."
D'Entremont himself has told CTV he is "not sure" whether he will run again as a Liberal: "I'm 56 and may want to spend some time at home."
On November 14, 2025 — ten days after the crossing — the watchdog group Democracy Watch filed a formal complaint with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.
The complaint focused on a specific financial fact: d'Entremont had been Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons under the Conservatives, a role that comes with an annual salary top-up of approximately $46,000. He lost the role and the top-up under the new government.
Democracy Watch argued that the loss of that income created a financial motive for the crossing — one that should be examined under the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons. The complaint letter is publicly posted (PDF below).
The Ethics Commissioner declined to investigate. Democracy Watch publicly responded that the Commissioner had "rolled over like a lapdog" and "misled Parliament."
D'Entremont's stated rationale for the crossing shifted in the first week.
The first reason cited the contents of the federal budget — a budget that had not yet been tabled when he crossed that morning. He gave a different reason the following day. A third reason came five days later, which he was forced to correct after misleading a media outlet.
Democracy Watch documented the shifting account; CBC's coverage of d'Entremont's interactions with Conservative leadership during the same week corroborated parts of the timeline.
D'Entremont publicly described a meeting in which Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer and Whip Chris Warkentin "barged" into his office, almost knocked over his assistant, and called him a "snake." The Conservatives publicly disputed the account, calling it inaccurate.
CBC has reported on both versions. As of publication, no on-the-record neutral witness has confirmed either account in full.
Chris d'Entremont was first elected federally as a Conservative MP for West Nova in 2019. The riding was renamed Acadie–Annapolis in the 2024 federal redistribution. He served as Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees of the Whole from November 2021 until 2025 — the first Acadian to hold the role.
Before federal politics, d'Entremont served three terms as the Progressive Conservative MLA for Argyle (later Argyle-Barrington), Nova Scotia, from 2003 to 2019. He held provincial cabinet portfolios for Agriculture and Fisheries (2003–06), Health (2006–09), and Acadian Affairs (2003–09).
He was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and trained in radio broadcasting at Loyalist College.
On December 2, 2025, the Markham–Unionville MP rose in the House to call the Liberals "team asset inflation," "team rentier economy," and "team feudalism." Nine days later, he was one of them. He has admitted he was "truly a Conservative" the night before he crossed.
The Edmonton Riverbend MP said his "focus must turn entirely to my family" when announcing his resignation in November 2025. Fourteen weeks later, he kept his seat and joined the Liberals — getting a Special Advisor role and foreign trips with the Prime Minister within weeks.
In a January 11 interview with the Petrolia Lambton Independent, the Sarnia-Lambton MP said constituents "deserve a chance to have a redo" when their MP switches parties. Three months later, she joined the Liberals — and has not called a byelection.
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<h1>Chris d’Entremont Won by 533 Votes as a Conservative. Six Months Later, He Was a Liberal — and Democracy Watch Filed an Ethics Complaint.</h1>
<p><em>By Parliament Audit · April 19, 2026 · 5 min read</em></p>
<p><strong>On November 4, 2025 — the morning of the federal budget — Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont became the first Conservative to cross to Mark Carney’s Liberals, six months after winning re-election by 533 votes on the Conservative ticket. Within ten days, the watchdog group Democracy Watch filed a formal complaint with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, arguing that d’Entremont’s loss of his Deputy Speaker salary top-up created a financial motive that warranted investigation under the Conflict of Interest Code. The Commissioner declined to investigate.</strong></p>
<h2>The Crossing</h2>
<p>On the morning of November 4, 2025 — federal budget day — Conservative MP Chris d'Entremont announced he was crossing the floor to the Liberals. He was the first Conservative to join Mark Carney's caucus.</p>
<p>He had been re-elected six months earlier, in the April 2025 federal election, by approximately 533 votes — the smallest margin of his federal career — on the Conservative ticket. Former Conservative Party president Rob Batherson, quoted by CBC, said d'Entremont had "betrayed his voters."</p>
<p>D'Entremont himself has told CTV he is "not sure" whether he will run again as a Liberal: "I'm 56 and may want to spend some time at home."</p>
<h2>The Ethics Complaint</h2>
<p>On November 14, 2025 — ten days after the crossing — the watchdog group Democracy Watch filed a formal complaint with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.</p>
<p>The complaint focused on a specific financial fact: d'Entremont had been Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons under the Conservatives, a role that comes with an annual salary top-up of approximately $46,000. He lost the role and the top-up under the new government.</p>
<p>Democracy Watch argued that the loss of that income created a financial motive for the crossing — one that should be examined under the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons. The complaint letter is publicly posted (PDF below).</p>
<p>The Ethics Commissioner declined to investigate. Democracy Watch publicly responded that the Commissioner had "rolled over like a lapdog" and "misled Parliament."</p>
<h2>Three Reasons in Five Days</h2>
<p>D'Entremont's stated rationale for the crossing shifted in the first week.</p>
<p>The first reason cited the contents of the federal budget — a budget that had not yet been tabled when he crossed that morning. He gave a different reason the following day. A third reason came five days later, which he was forced to correct after misleading a media outlet.</p>
<p>Democracy Watch documented the shifting account; CBC's coverage of d'Entremont's interactions with Conservative leadership during the same week corroborated parts of the timeline.</p>
<h2>The Confrontation Account</h2>
<p>D'Entremont publicly described a meeting in which Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer and Whip Chris Warkentin "barged" into his office, almost knocked over his assistant, and called him a "snake." The Conservatives publicly disputed the account, calling it inaccurate.</p>
<p>CBC has reported on both versions. As of publication, no on-the-record neutral witness has confirmed either account in full.</p>
<h2>Background</h2>
<p>Chris d'Entremont was first elected federally as a Conservative MP for West Nova in 2019. The riding was renamed Acadie–Annapolis in the 2024 federal redistribution. He served as Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees of the Whole from November 2021 until 2025 — the first Acadian to hold the role.</p>
<p>Before federal politics, d'Entremont served three terms as the Progressive Conservative MLA for Argyle (later Argyle-Barrington), Nova Scotia, from 2003 to 2019. He held provincial cabinet portfolios for Agriculture and Fisheries (2003–06), Health (2006–09), and Acadian Affairs (2003–09).</p>
<p>He was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and trained in radio broadcasting at Loyalist College.</p>
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Originally published by <a href="https://parliamentaudit.ca/news/chris-dentremont-deputy-speaker-ethics-complaint">Parliament Audit</a>
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