Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont sent shockwaves through Ottawa this week after crossing the floor from the Conservatives to the Liberals, edging the governing party just two votes shy of a majority. His move reignited one of Parliament’s most controversial traditions — switching parties mid-term.
Since Confederation in 1867, more than 300 MPs have changed their political allegiance while in office. The first known case was Stewart Campbell of Nova Scotia, who left the Anti-Confederates to join Sir John A. Macdonald’s Liberal-Conservatives in 1868 — a decision that, according to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, got him pelted with eggs at a social event.
Over the past 25 years, 80 MPs have switched parties, often triggered by leadership changes or political realignments. Notable cases include Scott Brison, who left the Progressive Conservatives after the 2003 merger with the Canadian Alliance, saying the new Conservative Party no longer represented his values. Belinda Stronach famously joined the Liberals in 2005, citing Stephen Harper’s lack of sensitivity to regional needs, while David Emerson switched sides just two weeks after being elected as a Liberal in 2006, accepting a cabinet post in Harper’s government — a move that drew public outrage but no ethics violations.
Other MPs, like Leona Alleslev and Jenica Atwin, crossed the floor in more recent years, claiming dissatisfaction with their former parties’ direction. In each case, reactions ranged from admiration for political courage to accusations of betrayal.
A 2018 Angus Reid poll highlighted how divided Canadians remain on the issue: about 40 per cent believe MPs should be barred from switching parties between elections and should resign to seek a new mandate, while a similar number support allowing such moves, especially if MPs sit as Independents first.
Analysts like Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, say floor-crossing remains a “rare but career-defining gamble.” Constituents who vote for a party rather than a person often feel betrayed, and many MPs who switch sides don’t return to Parliament in the next election.
As history shows, crossing the floor might keep Parliament dynamic — but it can just as easily end a political career.