Jenica Atwin, a Green Party MP, has defected to the Liberals.

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Kirti Pathak
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Jenica Atwin

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Jenica Atwin, a member of the Green Party from Fredericton, crossed the House of Commons floor today to join the ruling Liberals. Atwin made history for the Greens in the past election, defeating Liberal incumbent Matt DeCourcey in Fredericton to win the party's first-ever seat in Atlantic Canada. The Greens gained three MPs and their largest caucus in history thanks to Atwin, Paul Manly, and former leader Elizabeth May.

Atwin's departure is a blow for a party that has long desired more clout in Parliament — and a coup for the Liberals as they try to woo progressive voters ahead of a likely fall election. Atwin, a former teacher and community organizer in Oromocto, N.B., announced her surprise departure today, claiming that the Green Party had too many "distractions" and that she wanted to work in a more "supportive and collaborative" atmosphere.

Atwin claims that recent party infighting over subjects such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has distracted her from the topics that matter most to her constituency. When asked if a recent disagreement over Green Party Leader Annamie Paul's public pronouncements concerning the Middle East crisis influenced her decision to join the Liberals, she stated, "It absolutely played a factor." Paul has been accused of flouting the party's official position on Israel.

At a press conference today with Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Atwin stated that while she will be running for a different party in the upcoming election, "my priorities and principles remain the same." She claimed she had never been partisan. "Choosing which party flag to fly over my head has always been tough for me."

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She vowed to keep fighting for serious climate action and to oppose fracking as well as projects like the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which the government is finally building after years of delays. She stated, "I haven't changed my mind."

Atwin claimed that the Liberals did not offer her anything in exchange for crossing the floor and that she was not promised a cabinet position. She stated, "We haven't discussed anything like that. One step at a time," says the narrator.

According to a top Liberal source, Atwin started the floor-crossing several weeks ago when she contacted the ruling party. According to the source, Atwin is pleased with the Liberals' approach on key topics including the environment and reconciliation. Chris Atwin, Atwin's husband, is an Oromocto First Nation councilor.

 

atlantic-canada green-party liberal-incumbent-matt-decourcey green-party-leader-annamie-pauls oromocto-first-nation-councilor
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