The leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP), Don Davies, introduced a bill to ban floor-crossing without voters’ consent on Tuesday. The bill comes after five lawmakers left their original party and joined the Liberal Party, giving it a majority at the House of Commons.
If passed in its current form, Bill C-278 will automatically vacate the seat of a parliamentarian who changes their political affiliation. According to the Parliament of Canada Act, the vacancy will trigger a re-election in the constituency represented by the parliamentarian. Speaking at the House, Davies argued that the bill is crucial to restoring accountability and voters’ trust in elections. He maintained that floor-crossing parliamentarians should explain to voters if they believe that floor-crossing is justified. He said: “Recently, the very balance of this House was changed not by voters at the ballot box, but by political operatives in back rooms. While that may not be illegal, it is undeniably undemocratic.”
In the last general election, the Liberal Party of Canada won only 169 seats in the House of Commons, failing to secure a majority. This no longer stands true after five lawmakers changed their political affiliation and joined the federal Liberal caucus. They include four conservative lawmakers–Chris d’Entremont, Michael Ma, Matt Jeneroux, Marilyn Gladu–and one NDP lawmaker, Lori Idlout. They faced repercussions to different extents. For instance, d’Entremont reportedly received online threats that warranted an investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Some of Gladu’s constituents are also trying to file a civil lawsuit for fraud, alleging that she ran her electoral campaign on conservative values with a premeditated plan to change her political affiliation upon being elected.
Canada’s Parliament adopts the Westminster-style model, with elected representatives from 304 geographical constituencies making up the House of Commons. Floor-crossing, though rare, has been a long-standing tradition within the system. Political commentator David Moscrop and former lawmaker David Graham similarly contended that the tradition allows parliamentarians to exercise their independent judgment in the best interest of their constituencies. However, a March 2026 survey conducted by Angus Reid Institute showed that 41 percent of Canadians expect their elected representatives to face re-election when they decide to cross the floor. Supporters of floor-crossing without re-election value the stability of the government; critics believe that it disenfranchises the constituents.
The NDP proposed a similar bill in 2012, though 181 of 272 parliamentarians voted against it at the second reading stage. At the time, conservative lawmaker Michelle Rempel said that the re-election requirement would encourage party leaders to disregard the interests of different constituencies. Leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, who recently spoke against floor-crossing, also voted against the 2012 bill.
In a recent case about Parliament seeking to limit its members’ privilege, the Supreme Court of Canada held that Parliament enjoys the legislative authority insofar as it does not undermine Westminster-style democracy. Whether floor-crossing is a fundamental feature of the system is debatable.
