Imagine, if you will, an elected official put into office by a constituency that voted not just for the person, but the party. Now, imagine that individual forsaking his/her constituents for personal gain, real or perceived. One signature on a floor-crossing form, and the MP they sent to Ottawa suddenly wears a different jersey. The voter’s ballot, cast in good faith, is nullified. Their vote no longer matters.
In the last 6 months, four MPs have done exactly that: crossed the floor to join Mark Carney’s Liberals. Chris d’Entremont (Conservative, Nova Scotia). Michael Ma (Conservative, Ontario). Matt Jeneroux (Conservative, Alberta). And most recently, Lori Idlout (NDP, Nunavut). Each one was sent to Ottawa under one banner, yet now sits under another. Matt Jeneroux’s riding—Edmonton Riverbend—has never, in its entire history, elected a Liberal MP. Never. Voters there chose Conservative representation, not Liberal. Yet today they have a Liberal MP they did not choose. This is not democracy. This is electoral fraud by paperwork.
Floor crossings are not harmless musical chairs. When an MP switches parties, they break the contract they made with their constituents. The voters did not elect a free agent; they elected a representative of a specific party and platform. Allowing that representative to unilaterally change teams—without facing the voters again—means the ballot they cast is meaningless. That’s why floor crossings should automatically trigger a by-election. Let the people decide: do they still want this person, or do they want the party they originally voted for? Recent polling backs this up: an Ipsos survey shows nearly 70% of Canadians would demand an immediate by-election if their own MP crossed the floor, with a majority saying the practice should be banned outright. Anything less is a betrayal of the democratic principle itself.
I strongly believe in this stance, no matter the party or affiliation. If an MP leaves the party they ran under—whether to the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP, Bloc, Greens, or sits as an independent—the riding deserves a fresh say. No exceptions. Do the constituents want the MP or do they want the party that they have decided best reflects their political beliefs. The current system lets politicians trade their voters’ mandate like poker chips, and continue on in the “enemy camp” as if that were perfectly acceptable.
So let’s ask the question many Canadians are thinking: What was the price? Lori Idlout’s son Robin was arrested in December 2024 on serious charges—possession of and accessing child pornography. His first court date was January 2025. Then… silence. No public updates, no trial reports, no resolution in the record. Fifteen months later, almost to the day, Idlout crosses the floor. Was the quiet on those charges her price? Was a discreet stay, a withdrawn file, or a well-placed call the incentive?
And the others? Chris d’Entremont, long-time Conservative. Michael Ma, disgruntled Tory. Matt Jeneroux, who announced retirement only to reverse and join the winning side. Were there cabinet seats dangled? Riding associations quietly funded? Family immigration files expedited? Business permits smoothed? Or simply a seat at the table when the power shifts inevitably into majority territory after the April by-elections—loyalty be damned? Did wheels get greased, and if so which ones?
We may never see the reasons, the deals, the promises made. Deals in Ottawa are done in rooms without cameras, favours delivered through channels that leave no trace. But the pattern is undeniable. Four MPs switch sides in two years. Four times the Liberals gain a seat they didn’t win at the ballot box. Four times constituents are told their choice doesn’t count. And now, with Idlout’s defection pushing Carney’s Liberals to 170 seats—just two shy of a majority—this isn’t mere pragmatism; it’s one step closer to a possible dictatorship stitched together without ever facing the voters. This is betrayal dressed as pragmatism. This is democracy reduced to a transaction. And this is why trust in the system is dead on arrival.
You are now entering another dimension. A dimension not only of sight and sound, but of backroom handshakes and broken promises. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of the ballot box… and the ambition of those who would rather cross the floor than face the voters again.
This is what happens… in the Canadian Political Zone.
Sources:
Recent floor crossings to Liberals (four in recent months: Chris d’Entremont in November 2025, Michael Ma in December 2025, Matt Jeneroux in February 2026, Lori Idlout on March 10/11, 2026): CBC News: “NDP MP Lori Idlout crossing floor to Liberals, bringing Carney closer to majority” (March 10-11, 2026) — https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/idlout-crossing-floor-liberals-9.7123443
Global News: “NDP MP Lori Idlout crosses floor to Liberals” (March 10, 2026) — https://globalnews.ca/news/11725093/ndp-mp-lori-idlout-crosses-floor-liberals
Politico: “Carney poaches Conservative MP, putting a majority within reach” (on Jeneroux, February 18, 2026) — https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/18/conservative-matt-jeneroux-crosses-floor-join-carney-liberals-00785999
BBC: “Conservative Michael Ma crosses floor to Canada’s Liberals” (December 12, 2025) — https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy5ggqkl44lo
Liberals at 170 seats post-Idlout defection (two short of majority, ahead of April 13 by-elections): CBC News and Global News (as above)
CTV News: “NDP MP Lori Idlout crossing floor to Liberals, PM Carney two seats shy of majority” (March 11, 2026) — https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/ndp-mp-crosses-floor-to-join-liberals-putting-carney-two-seats-shy-of-majority
Bloomberg: “Canadian PM Carney Nears Majority With Fourth Defection” (March 11, 2026) — https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-11/canada-pm-carney-approaches-majority-with-fourth-defecting-rival
Ipsos poll (February 25-26, 2026, for Global News): ~69% (rounded to nearly 70%) want immediate by-election if MP crosses in their riding; 62% say floor-crossing should not be allowed: Ipsos official release: “Majority (62%) of Canadians Say Floor Crossing Should Not Be Allowed; Most (69%) Would Want By-election if It Happened in Their District” (March 4, 2026) — https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/majority-62-canadians-say-floor-crossing-should-not-be-allowed
Global News: “Canadians want floor-crossing MPs to face ‘immediate’ byelections: poll” (March 4, 2026) — https://globalnews.ca/news/11716139/ipsos-poll-mp-floor-crossing
Robin Idlout (Lori Idlout’s son) arrest December 4, 2024, in Winnipeg on charges of possession and accessing child pornography; first court appearance January 13, 2025; no further public updates reported: RCMP news release: “Nunavut RCMP Specialized Investigative Team assist Winnipeg Police Service in internet child exploitation investigation” (December 30, 2024) — https://rcmp.ca/en/nunavut/news/2024/12/nunavut-rcmp-specialized-investigative-team-assist-winnipeg-police-service-internet-child
Edmonton Riverbend never elected a Liberal MP historically (riding created 2015, held by Conservatives until Jeneroux’s switch): Confirmed via riding history in Elections Canada records and coverage of Jeneroux’s defection (e.g., CBC and Politico articles above).
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