Floor crossing politicians
Canadian history is dotted with floor-crossers. Voters haven’t always been thrilled
Floor-crossing often met with outrage, but nothing in the rules to stop it
Traitor, shameful, brave, principled.
There’s a spectrum of terms used to describe MPs who cross the floor. But history shows us there’s one word that doesn’t always stick when Canadian politicians shed one party affiliation for another: re-electable.
Jaws dropped in Ottawa following the revelation that longtime Conservative Chris d’Entremont is joining the federal Liberal caucus — with Prime Minister Mark Carney hinting others could follow.
Floor-crossing is a political phenomenon dating back to Confederation. But a dive into the record books shows it has increasingly come at an electoral price.
“Switching parties is an extremely risky move that almost always hurts a politician’s chances of re-election,” said Semra Sevi, assistant professor in the University of Toronto’s political science department.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/floor-crossing-history-9.6968216
Crossing the Floor: A Canadian Political Tradition
Floor crossing is one of Canada’s most dramatic political traditions. When an MP walks across the House of Commons to join a different party, it represents both political calculation and personal conviction, often triggering controversy about democratic representation and voter trust.
Since Confederation, 127 MPs have crossed the floor, with varying degrees of success. Some, like David Emerson (Liberal to Conservative, 2006), sparked national outrage. Others, like Scott Brison (Progressive Conservative to Liberal, 2003), built successful long-term careers in their new party. The data reveals fascinating patterns about timing, motivation, and electoral consequences.
https://www.davemanuel.com/canadian-floor-crossers-complete-history-party-switchers.php
It’s disheartening when MPs change allegiance without voter input
Soon Prime Minister Mark Carney will not need to call that snap election in the hopes of getting a majority government. Hats off to the Liberals. They were able to entice another Conservative MP to cross the floor.
As a Canadian, it is disheartening that an elected MP feels they can change their political allegiance without approval of the voters who elected them. As a Pierre Poilievre supporter, it is even more disheartening.
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