It was –20°C and snowing in Edmonton Riverbend, and with the help of more than 22,000 petition signers, Rebel News deployed a billboard truck through the riding to demand accountability from Matt Jeneroux after he crossed the floor to the Liberal Party.

Riverbend has voted Conservative in every federal election since the riding was created in 2015. And now, without a by-election, it has a Liberal MP.

Back in November, rumours surfaced that the Liberals were pressuring Jeneroux to cross the floor. When the backlash began, he publicly denied it. Soon after, he announced he was resigning, citing family reasons in what looked like a long goodbye.

Less than four months later, he resurfaced at an airport press conference alongside Prime Minister Mark Carney — announcing he was joining the Liberals.

He cited Carney’s speech in Davos as the moment that changed his mind. That was the explanation. No town hall. No constituency-wide consultation. No vote.

Just the ol' Liberal Switcheroo. 

“I voted for him. I want my vote back.”

Residents didn’t hold back.

One woman who lives a block away from where we were parked said she had voted for Jeneroux and felt completely betrayed.

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“I voted for Matt and I want my vote back. I’m so pissed,” she said. She explained that he had campaigned in nearby seniors’ residences, promising to protect their interests.

“And then out of nowhere, once you get that vote, you’re jumping ship,” she said. “It feels like senior abuse.”

Others raised the same concern: how does someone represent a riding they haven’t even been present in? Locals told us Jeneroux hasn’t set foot in the riding for months. They say he sold his house and moved out of the province.

When he finally returned, it was reportedly just long enough to hold a press conference at the airport — without meeting constituents — before leaving again.

“You don’t just change your beliefs overnight”

It wasn’t just one frustrated voter.

“How do you change your mind overnight? You say you believe this for three terms — and then suddenly you believe the opposite?” He pointed out that Jeneroux had already served three consecutive terms as a Conservative MP.

“That doesn’t just happen overnight,” he said.

That’s the issue for many here. Political convictions don’t usually disappear between election cycles. Riverbend voters sent a Conservative to Ottawa three times. Now they’re represented by a Liberal without ever being asked.

Media won’t cover it — so we brought it to them

After spending hours driving through Riverbend neighbourhoods, we took the truck downtown to make sure the story couldn’t be ignored.

We drove past the offices of:

• CBC News
• CTV News
• Global News
• Edmonton Journal

More than 22,000 people signing a petition in a matter of days is news. But if legacy media won’t amplify Riverbend’s outrage, we will.

If Jeneroux truly believes his constituents support his new direction, he should have no problem resigning and running again. Let the people decide. That’s how accountability works.

Until then, the people of Edmonton Riverbend are making their voices heard and the petition demanding a by-election continues to grow at FireMatt.com.

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