'A sneaky power grab': MP Kelly DeRidder accuses Liberals of backroom pressure
'Let me be clear: I am not turning my back on the people who elected me and I am not going to help any government build power through backroom conversations,' DeRidder said in a video posted to X.
On Tuesday’s Rebel Roundup livestream, Sheila Gunn Reid and Lise Merle discussed Conservative MP Kelly DeRidder and her public disclosure of alleged efforts by the Liberal Party to persuade her to cross the floor.
This comes amid a broader trend: since November, four Conservative MPs have crossed the floor to join the Liberals, most recently Marilyn Gladu of Sarnia, Ontario.
DeRidder took to social media with a video detailing what she described as behind-the-scenes pressure to switch parties. She ultimately reaffirmed her commitment to her constituents and her intention to continue serving as a Conservative.
Canadians elected a Liberal minority, not a majority and trying to build one is a power grab.
— Kelly DeRidder, MP (@KellyDeRidderMP) April 27, 2026
I won't be crossing the floor. I won't betray the people who put their trust in me. pic.twitter.com/VMRpKyoDkS
“Let me be clear: I am not turning my back on the people who elected me and I am not going to help any government build power through backroom conversations,” said DeRidder. “Canada is supposed to run on fair elections and straight answers. Backroom deals like this are not leadership, they’re a sneaky power grab, and Canadians shouldn’t accept it.”
Sheila Gunn Reid argued that the tactics DeRidder described are telling about the Liberal Party’s political mindset.
“The threats relate, actually, directly to the Liberal mentality that, ‘Well, she only cares about her seat, not who she’s representing. She is like us, in that we only care about power and not principle,’” she said. “That didn’t work — they ran up against a principled lady — so then they started with flattery… This is all projection.”
According to Sheila, the sequence of tactics — threats, flattery, and bribes — serve to highlight what she believes Canadians already suspect about the Liberals’ approach to power.
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COMMENTS
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Peter Wrenshall commented 2026-05-02 03:15:00 -0400This may in future be remembered as the dirtiest maneuver in Canadian political history. But never mind the ethics. Because for the Liberals, it achieved two things: They successfully stole a majority government from the minority mandate Canadian voters had actually given them. Second, it seriously, if unfairly undermined Pierre Poilievre’s reputation as a national party leader. -
Bruce Atchison commented 2026-04-29 21:53:41 -0400A pox on floor-crossing dupes!