Overview
- NDP parliamentary leader Don Davies tabled private member’s Bill C-278 on Tuesday to require any MP who wants to join another party to either trigger a by‑election or sit as an independent until the next general election.
- If the bill became law it would automatically vacate a seat when an MP changes affiliation and, under the Parliament of Canada Act, that vacancy would trigger a re‑election in the MP’s constituency.
- Davies framed the move as a response to five recent floor crossings that transformed a minority government into a Liberal majority and said the change is needed to restore accountability and public confidence.
- Supporters point to public polling showing a majority of Canadians want floor‑crossers to face voters first, while defecting MPs and the government say some MPs consulted constituents and deny offering preferential treatment to ridings.
- The proposal faces steep hurdles as a private member’s bill and echoes failed NDP efforts from 2012; floor‑crossing remains a long‑standing Westminster practice with both legal and political debate about whether it should be limited.