The Delusioneers
The Delusioneers · Federal Parliamentary Record
Canadian House of Commons
The Floor
Federal Floor Crossings, 1867–2026
Opposition
Government
Span: 159 years Largest burst: 1917 — 14 crossings Carney era: 5 in 5 months Verbatim quotes: where primary source available
Sir John A. Macdonald 1867–1873 · 1878–1891 Conservative 12 crossings
Nine opposition members joined Macdonald's caucus. Five switched on the same day — January 30, 1869 — as the Anti-Confederation Party collapsed. No verbatim primary sources are digitized for pre-1917 crossings; all entries draw on secondary sources only.
DateMPStated ReasonContext
Aug 30–Sep 1, 1868
Stewart Campbell
Anti-Confederate → Liberal-Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Anti-Confederate movement collapsed; sought to work within Confederation.
Paraphrase — secondary source only. Date: Global News gives Aug. 30; CanadianHistoryEhx gives Sept. 1. Exact day contested.
First known floor crossing in Canadian history. Campbell was later pelted with eggs at a social occasion.
January 30, 1869 — Anti-Confederation Party dissolves. Eight MPs cross in a single day.
Jan 30, 1869
Alfred William Savary
Anti-Confederate → Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Party collapse; Confederation deemed inevitable.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
One of eight Anti-Confederate MPs crossing on January 30, 1869.
Jan 30, 1869
Archibald McLelan
Anti-Confederate → Liberal-Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Party collapse.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Part of the January 30, 1869 mass crossing.
Jan 30, 1869
James Charles McKeagney
Anti-Confederate → Liberal-Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Party collapse.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Part of the January 30, 1869 mass crossing.
Jan 30, 1869
Hugh McDonald
Anti-Confederate → Liberal-Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Party collapse.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Part of the January 30, 1869 mass crossing.
Jan 30, 1869
Edmund Mortimer McDonald
Anti-Confederate → Liberal-Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Party dissolution.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Part of the January 30, 1869 mass crossing.
Jan 30, 1869
Thomas Coffin
Anti-Confederate → Liberal-Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Party dissolution.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Part of the January 30, 1869 mass crossing.
Jan 30, 1869
Hugh Cameron
Anti-Confederate → Liberal-Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Party dissolution.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Part of the January 30, 1869 mass crossing.
Jan 30, 1869
Joseph Howe
Anti-Confederate (leader) → Liberal-Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Bundled with the January 30 mass crossing. DCB records a "Better Terms" deal reached with Finance Minister Sir John Rose in January 1869, followed shortly by a cabinet appointment as President of the Privy Council.
Paraphrase — Dictionary of Canadian Biography; secondary source only
The party leader crossing in the same event as his own members constituted the final collapse of the Anti-Confederation movement.
Oct 9, 1869
Richard John Cartwright
Liberal-Conservative → Liberal
No verbatim primary source. Denied a cabinet position by Macdonald; defected in protest.
Paraphrase — Wikipedia floor crossings list, sourced to Library of Parliament
Cartwright went on to serve as Finance Minister under Mackenzie, delivering the first Liberal budget in 1874.
1873
Newton LeGayet MacKay
Conservative → Liberal
No verbatim primary source. Personal and political grievances with Conservative government.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
1874
Samuel McDonnell
Conservative → Liberal
No verbatim primary source. Personal split with Conservative caucus.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
Sir Wilfrid Laurier 1896–1911 Liberal 2 crossings
DateMPStated ReasonContext
1899
Henri Bourassa
Liberal → Independent
No verbatim primary source. Opposed Canada's participation in the Boer War; broke with Laurier on imperial policy.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Bourassa later founded the nationalist Ligue nationaliste canadienne.
1911
Louis-Joseph Papineau
Liberal → Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Ran as a Conservative in the 1911 election.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Would cross again in 1917 — back to the Liberals — over conscription.
Sir Robert Borden 1911–1920 Conservative / Unionist 15 crossings
The 1917 Conscription Crisis produced the largest single-era wave in Canadian history. Borden formed a Union Government; Laurier refused to join, but many Liberal MPs defected. Two Conservative MPs crossed the other way. No verbatim primary sources are digitized for these crossings.
1917 Conscription Crisis — 14 crossings
DateMPStated ReasonContext
1917
William Stewart Loggie
Liberal → Unionist
No verbatim primary source. Supported conscription and the Union war effort.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Re-elected as Unionist in 1917.
1917
Hugh Guthrie
Liberal → Unionist
No verbatim primary source. Supported conscription; joined Borden's Union Government.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
1917
William Stevens Fielding
Liberal → Liberal-Unionist
No verbatim primary source. Senior Liberal MP; backed conscription over Laurier's opposition.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Had served as Finance Minister under Laurier for 15 years.
1917
James McCrie Douglas
Liberal → Unionist
No verbatim primary source. Conscription support.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
1917
Michael Clark
Liberal → Liberal-Unionist
No verbatim primary source. Pro-conscription Liberal from Alberta.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Re-elected as Liberal-Unionist.
1917
Frank Broadstreet Carvell
Liberal → Liberal-Unionist
No verbatim primary source. Joined Borden's Cabinet as Minister of Public Works.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Appointed to cabinet upon crossing.
1917
William Ashbury Buchanan
Liberal → Unionist
No verbatim primary source. Backed Union Government; conscription supporter.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
1917
Levi Thomson
Liberal → Unionist
No verbatim primary source. Re-elected as Unionist after switching over conscription.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
1917
Frederick Forsyth Pardee
Liberal → Liberal-Unionist
No verbatim primary source. Split with Laurier over conscription policy.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
1917
Hugh Havelock McLean
Liberal → Unionist
No verbatim primary source. Pro-conscription.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Re-elected as Unionist in 1917.
1917
Thomas MacNutt
Liberal → Unionist
No verbatim primary source. Broke with Laurier over conscription.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Re-elected as Unionist.
1917
Honoré Achim
Conservative → Liberal
No verbatim primary source. Opposed conscription; abandoned Borden and joined Laurier Liberals.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
One of two Conservative MPs to cross against Borden over conscription.
1917
Louis-Joseph Papineau
Conservative → Laurier-Liberal
No verbatim primary source. Switched back to Liberals over conscription — his second floor crossing.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Had previously crossed Liberal → Conservative in 1911.
Jun 1919
George William Andrews
Liberal-Unionist → Independent
No verbatim primary source. Protested government's handling of the Winnipeg General Strike.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 was one of the largest strikes in Canadian history.
1919
Andrew Knox
Liberal-Unionist → Progressive
No verbatim primary source. Joined agrarian Progressive movement after the war.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
W.L. Mackenzie King 1921–1930 · 1935–1948 Liberal 1 crossing
DateMPStated ReasonContext
1922
William James Hammell
Progressive → Liberal
No verbatim primary source. Defected from Progressives to support King government.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
R.B. Bennett 1930–1935 Conservative 1 crossing
DateMPStated ReasonContext
1934–1935
Henry Herbert Stevens
Conservative → Reconstruction Party (founder)
No verbatim primary source. No single floor day — Stevens resigned from Bennett's cabinet over the price-spreads inquiry in 1934, then founded the Reconstruction Party before the October 1935 general election.
Paraphrase — secondary source only. Staged break over two years; treated as a 1935 defection in most tallies.
Rejoined Conservatives in 1938. The Reconstruction Party won only one seat — Stevens' own.
Lester B. Pearson 1963–1968 Liberal 5 crossings
DateMPStated ReasonContext
1963
Real Caouette
Social Credit → Ralliement des créditistes (founder)
No verbatim primary source. Led 13 Quebec Social Credit MPs to form a new Quebec-focused créditiste party.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
A party split rather than a crossing to an existing party.
1964
Gérard Ouellet
Social Credit → Progressive Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Left Social Credit to join PCs.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
1964
Gérard Girouard
Social Credit → Progressive Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Joined PCs alongside Ouellet.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
1967
Bud Olson
Social Credit → Liberal
No verbatim primary source. Joined Pearson's Liberals as Social Credit support waned.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Went on to serve in cabinet under Trudeau and later Chrétien.
1968
Robert N. Thompson
Social Credit (leader) → Progressive Conservative
No verbatim primary source. Social Credit leader switched to PCs.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
The party leader crossing effectively ended Social Credit as a federal force.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau 1968–1979 · 1980–1984 Liberal 2 crossings
DateMPStated ReasonContext
Apr 1977
Jack Horner
Progressive Conservative → Liberal
Believed he could achieve for Alberta a member in the governing [party] than as part of the opposition and expressed anticipation of a cabinet appointment. Said he would continue to advocate for conservative principles in his new role.
New York Times, April 21, 1977 — paraphrase from contemporaneous reporting; no full transcript recovered
Immediately appointed Minister of State for Transport upon crossing. Defeated as a Liberal in the 1979 election.
Oct 1982
Peter Ittinuar
NDP → Liberal
Nunavut needed to happen at all costs, and this was the cost for me personally. All I had on my mind was Nunavut.
Nunatsiaq News — retrospective interview
NDP leader Ed Broadbent had dismissed the Nunavut proposal with laughter. In 2026, commenting on Lori Idlout's similar crossing: "Crossing the floor of the House of Commons is a 'very difficult' decision to make but it comes with the opportunity to have 'leverage.'"
Brian Mulroney 1984–1993 Progressive Conservative 8 crossings
Mulroney's era produced the most consequential single floor crossing in Canadian history: Lucien Bouchard's resignation and the founding of the Bloc Québécois.
1990 — Meech Lake failure
DateMPStated ReasonContext
May 1990
Lucien Bouchard
PC (cabinet) → Bloc Québécois (founder)
Told Parliament he was leaving because of Quebec's continued humiliation by English-speaking Canada and the anticipated failure of the Meech Lake [accord]. He condemned as hypocrites the three provinces whose legislatures refused to ratify. Later disputed Mulroney's account: I recognized that he wanted to depict my exit as a disciplinary action justified by my conduct. I wasn't leaving; he was expelling me.
Hansard via UPI Archives, May 1990; Bouchard memoir On the Record (1994)
Cabinet resignation
Mulroney's account (private recordings published by Peter C. Newman): "I have no choice but to demand your resignation immediately which I am now doing." The Bloc won 54 seats in 1993.
May 1990
Gilbert Chartrand
Progressive Conservative → Independent
In emotional appeal in Parliament: I cannot observe a policy of silence, because I would be ashamed before my children.
Hansard via UPI Archives, May 1990
Crossed over Meech Lake alongside Bouchard.
1990
François Gérin
Progressive Conservative → Bloc Québécois
No verbatim primary source. Left PCs; became a founding member of the Bloc Québécois.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
One of the founding Bloc MPs alongside Bouchard.
1990
Jean Lapierre
Liberal → Bloc Québécois
No verbatim primary source recovered. Left Liberals over constitutional issues.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Later returned to the Liberal Party; served as Transport Minister under Paul Martin.
1990
David Kilgour
Progressive Conservative → Independent
No verbatim primary source. Left PCs over Mulroney's GST introduction.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Later joined the Liberals; crossed to Independent again in 2005. One of the most prolific floor crossers in Canadian history.
1992
Nic LeBlanc
Progressive Conservative → Bloc Québécois
No verbatim primary source. Joined BQ caucus amid PC collapse and sovereignty politics.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
1992
Alex Kindy
Progressive Conservative → Reform
No verbatim primary source. Left PCs over deficit concerns; aligned with Reform's fiscal platform.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Early sign of the Reform movement's absorption of disaffected PC members.
1999
Angela Vautour
NDP → Progressive Conservative
No verbatim primary source.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
One of the rare crossings away from the governing party.
Jean Chrétien 1993–2003 Liberal 8 crossings
Chrétien attracted several PC and Reform/Alliance MPs amid the 1990s PC collapse. His decade also saw notable departures over the broken GST promise and western alienation.
DateMPStated ReasonContext
1996
John Nunziata
Liberal → Independent
No verbatim primary source. Expelled from caucus for voting against the budget; Liberals had broken their promise to eliminate the GST.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Expelled rather than voluntarily crossing. A direct consequence of the broken GST promise.
1996
David Kilgour
Liberal → Independent
No verbatim primary source. Accused Liberal government of "arrogance" and Western alienation.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Kilgour's third affiliation change.
Sep 2000
David Price
Progressive Conservative → Liberal
No verbatim primary source. Concerned about PC party weakness in Quebec; risk of seat going to the Bloc.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Crossed within days of Joe Clark winning the PC leadership by-election.
Sep 2000
Diane St-Jacques
Progressive Conservative → Liberal
No verbatim primary source. Same stated motivation as Price; crossed alongside him.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
Sep 2000
André Harvey
Independent → Liberal
No verbatim primary source. Had left PCs to sit as independent in April; joined Liberals in the same September announcement.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
Sep 2000
Rick Laliberte
NDP → Liberal
No verbatim primary source.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
2001
Chuck Strahl & Alliance rebels
Canadian Alliance → Democratic Representative Caucus
No verbatim primary source. Led group of 13 Alliance MPs who left or were expelled over criticism of Stockwell Day's leadership.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Most eventually returned to the Alliance after Day resigned the leadership.
2002
Joe Peschisolido
Canadian Alliance → Liberal
No verbatim primary source.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
Paul Martin 2003–2006 Liberal 5 crossings
Martin's minority government was nearly brought down until Belinda Stronach's floor crossing saved it on a budget confidence vote by a single seat.
DateMPStated ReasonContext
Dec 2003
Scott Brison
Progressive Conservative → Liberal
Said he was abandoning rigid ideologies and that the Liberal party better reflected his personal values. Said he struggled with the merger and that the PC party he grew up with no longer existed.
No verbatim press conference transcript recovered. Contemporaneous CP/wire reporting only.
Crossed days after the PC-Alliance merger vote. Went on to a 16-year Liberal cabinet career.
Jan 2004
Keith Martin
Canadian Alliance → Liberal
No verbatim primary source. Opposed the Alliance-PC merger; sought Liberal nomination to protest the new Conservative Party's direction.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
May 17, 2005
Belinda Stronach
Conservative → Liberal
I've been uncomfortable for some time with the direction the Conservative party was taking. I regret to say that I do not believe the party leader is truly sensitive to the needs of each part of the country and just how big and complex Canada really is. Also cited disagreement on same-sex marriage and the Conservative leadership's alliance with the Bloc to bring down the government.
Press conference, Ottawa, May 17, 2005
Government-saving crossing
Had Stronach not crossed and voted for the budget, the Martin government would have fallen on a confidence vote. Appointed to cabinet immediately upon crossing.
Jun 2005
Pat O'Brien
Liberal → Independent
No verbatim primary source. Left Liberals over same-sex marriage legislation; opposed Bill C-38.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
—
2005
David Kilgour
Liberal → Independent
No verbatim primary source. Left Liberals again over foreign policy concerns and party arrogance.
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Kilgour's fourth affiliation change.
Stephen Harper 2006–2015 Conservative 5 crossings
Harper's era included the most controversial single floor crossing in the post-Confederation era: David Emerson joining cabinet on the day Harper was sworn in, two weeks after Emerson had been elected as a Liberal.
DateMPStated ReasonContext
Feb 6, 2006
David Emerson
Liberal → Conservative
I am pursuing the very agenda that I got involved to pursue when I was in the Liberal Party supporting Paul Martin. I'm continuing to pursue it. So if that's arrogant to you, then so be it. On serving his riding from government benches: If you want to call it arrogance, go ahead, fill the newspaper with it. I don't really care.
Telephone press conference, February 2006. CBC News.
Day-of-swearing-in crossing
Appointed to Harper's cabinet on the very day Harper was sworn in. His riding, Vancouver-Kingsway, had voted Liberal by a wide margin. Ethics Commissioner found no rules broken but noted the crossing gave citizens "a sense that their vote was somehow devalued, if not betrayed." Retired rather than face voters.
Jan 5, 2007
Wajid Khan
Liberal → Conservative
Nothing about my decision to join the Conservative caucus feels strange to me — because I have come to admire the prime minister and his government during the last year. The best leader for Canada is the man who now has the job, Mr. Harper. When I'm given a choice … between a political party and my country, I will always choose Canada and that's why I chose the Conservative government.
Press conference alongside Prime Minister Harper, Ottawa, January 5, 2007. CBC/CityNews.
Khan had served as Harper's special adviser on the Middle East while still sitting as a Liberal MP. Liberal leader Dion gave him an ultimatum to choose sides.
Oct 2006 / Feb 2007
Garth Turner
Conservative (expelled) → Liberal
On day of suspension: I believe all MPs need to answer to the voters first, to the constituents, to the taxpayers. That's who we work for. And we answer to our party leaders and our parties themselves second. In blog post the same day: I did not leave my party, or my convictions, at the caucus room door.
Blog post, October 18, 2006; press statements. CityNews/CBC.
Expelled from Conservative caucus in October 2006 for blogging critically about the party. Sat as independent before joining Liberals in February 2007.
Jun 2013
Brent Rathgeber
Conservative → Independent
I just notified the Board of Directors of the Edm-St. Albert CPC Association and the Speaker that I have resigned from the CPC Caucus. My decision to resign from the CPC Caucus is because of the Government's lack of commitment to transparency and open government.
Twitter, June 2013. Global News.
The government had edited Rathgeber's private member's bill on public sector pay transparency without his consent, removing the transparency mechanism he had designed.
Feb 9, 2015
Eve Adams
Conservative → Liberal
No verbatim primary source. Cited "mean-spirited leadership."
Paraphrase — secondary source only
Failed to win a Liberal nomination. Did not win a seat in the 2015 election.
Justin Trudeau 2015–2025 Liberal 4 crossings
Trudeau's decade saw several high-profile departures — most notably Wilson-Raybould and Philpott over the SNC-Lavalin affair — along with gains from other parties.
DateMPStated ReasonContext
Sep 17, 2018
Leona Alleslev
Liberal → Conservative
Full speech on the floor of the House of Commons: I stand before you today, profoundly worried about the trajectory of our country… My efforts to raise these concerns with the government have been met with silence. It is my responsibility to stand up and be counted. Our nation is in jeopardy… my oath is to country, not party, and my sacred obligation is to serve my constituents.
Hansard / CTV transcript, September 17, 2018
Context gap
Seven weeks before this speech, Alleslev emailed Foreign Affairs Minister Freeland: "You and the PM and Harj were truly awesome today." On July 20, 2018 — while already in private discussions with Conservative Leader Scheer — told a Liberal fundraiser: "The greatest thing about being a member of Parliament in this prime minister's government is that we are each and every one of us valued." Source: CBC News, September 2018.
Feb 2019
Jody Wilson-Raybould
Liberal (cabinet) → Independent
Resignation letter, February 12, 2019: Regardless of background, geography, or party affiliation, we must stand together for the values that Canada is built on. After expulsion from caucus, April 2, 2019: I hold my head high & that I can look myself in the mirror knowing I did what I was required to do and what needed to be done based on principles & values that must always transcend party. I have no regrets. I spoke the truth as I will continue to do.
Resignation letter via Maclean's; Twitter/X, April 2, 2019
Cabinet resignation
Alleged political interference in the SNC-Lavalin criminal prosecution. Won re-election as an independent in 2019.
Mar 2019
Jane Philpott
Liberal (cabinet) → Independent
Resignation letter, March 4, 2019: I must abide by my core values, my ethical responsibilities and constitutional obligations. There can be a cost to acting on one's principles, but there is a bigger cost to abandoning them. Sadly, I have lost confidence in how the government has dealt with this matter and in how it has responded to the issues raised.
Resignation letter via Maclean's / CBC, March 4, 2019
Cabinet resignation
Resigned in solidarity with Wilson-Raybould over the SNC-Lavalin affair. Defeated in the 2019 election.
Jun 10, 2021
Jenica Atwin
Green → Liberal
At press conference in Fredericton: It's a good day. I think this is a positive thing for my community. The past month I've been at a crossroads. It's been, in a word, distracting. So I'm going where I can do the best work for my community. This is about not backing down. It's not about being other than who I am…. I have the same priorities and values that I've always had. When asked if her views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had changed: I haven't changed my views.
Press conference, Fredericton; Global News / CBC, June 10, 2021
Cited "too many distractions" in the Green Party, particularly infighting over leader Annamie Paul's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Mark Carney 2025–present Liberal 5 crossings
The most concentrated burst of floor crossings in modern Canadian history: five opposition MPs joined Carney's Liberal caucus in five months.
November 2025 – April 2026 — Five crossings in five months
DateMPStated ReasonContext
Nov 4, 2025
Chris d'Entremont
Conservative → Liberal
A lot of times I felt it was part of a frat house rather than a serious political party. Stated the behaviour of Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer and Whip Chris Warkentin — who barged into his office and yelled at him upon hearing crossing rumours — was the final trigger.
Journalists' scrum, November 4, 2025. Alberta Politics / national wire.
Context gap
Made his crossing on the same day the Liberals presented their 2025 federal budget — a budget he had condemned weeks earlier as "monstrous" and "an over-billion deficit... a burden on future generations." Brought Liberals within two seats of a majority.
Dec 11, 2025
Michael Ma
Conservative → Liberal
Official written statement: This is a moment for solidarity and decisive measures for the future of Canada. With this in mind, I have determined that Prime Minister Mark Carney is providing the consistent, pragmatic approach necessary to address the priorities I encounter daily while canvassing in Markham-Unionville. I entered public service to assist others — to concentrate on solutions rather than division.
Official written statement, December 11, 2025. CBC News.
Context gap
On November 18, 2025 — less than a month before crossing — Ma delivered a statement in the House accusing the Liberal government of being "a party of criminals and murderers."
Feb 18, 2026
Matt Jeneroux
Conservative → Liberal
[Carney's Davos speech] opened a lot of eyes for Canadians, Albertans, Edmontonians — just how serious this national unity crisis truly is. Described the speech as leading him to reflect on the gravity of the moment that our country is living through.
Statement to reporters, Edmonton. Politico, February 18, 2026.
First Alberta MP to join the Liberal caucus through a floor crossing. Heavily criticized by Pierre Poilievre.
Mar 10–11, 2026
Lori Idlout
NDP → Liberal
Official written statement: Nunavut and the North are central to Canada's future, and the rights and aspirations of Indigenous peoples must be at the heart of Canada's democracy… With new threats against our sovereignty and pressures on the wellbeing of people throughout the North, we need a strong and ambitious government that makes decisions with Nunavut — not only about Nunavut. To Canadian Press in first interview as a Liberal MP: It started to, every day, to feel like I was betraying the wrong people, that I was betraying my constituents. And with leaving the NDP, I feel like I'm betraying them too, but at least I keep my focus on making sure that my constituents always come first.
Official Liberal Party written statement; Canadian Press interview. Nunatsiaq News / Global News, March 2026.
Left the NDP with just 6 MPs remaining. Brought the Liberals to 170 seats. In January 2026, two months before crossing, had told CBC: "I have decided at this point that I can't. I've definitely been asked to consider it."
Apr 8, 2026
Marilyn Gladu
Conservative → Liberal
At the Liberal Party convention in Montreal, April 9, 2026: To have a stable government for four years while (U.S. President Donald Trump) is in power is extremely important. Written message to constituents: Today presents both the chance — and the obligation — to enhance our nation's strength and success through a more constructive and cooperative approach.
Liberal Party convention, Montreal; written constituent message. Global News / CBC, April 8–9, 2026.
On-record contradiction
Gladu had previously stated publicly that floor crossers should resign and run in by-elections. She did not resign. Four-term MP, first elected 2015. Brought the Liberals to 171 seats — one shy of a majority.
5
Carney crossings in 5 months
14
Largest single burst — 1917
52
Liberal MPs gained, all-time
159
Years of the practice
Sources: Library of Parliament; Hansard (where digitized); contemporaneous news reporting (CBC, Globe and Mail, Canadian Press, CTV, Politico, Nunatsiaq News); Sevi & Cochrane (2016), "Floor Crossing in Canada," CPSA — cpsa-acsp.ca. Verbatim quotations sourced directly from primary records; all paraphrased entries are clearly marked. Pre-1917 entries rely on secondary sources only — Hansard records exist at Library and Archives Canada but are not in digitized searchable form. The 1917 figure of 14 crossings excludes MPs classified as transitional "Liberal-Unionist" rather than full party switchers; exact counting is contested in academic literature.

All items sourced from public record. No returns. No refunds. No records.
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