Four Crossers and Counting
Prime Minister Mark Carney has quietly pulled off something unusual in Canadian politics: four opposition MPs have crossed the floor to join the Liberal caucus within his first four months in office. The most recent arrival is NDP MP Lori Idlout, who was photographed with the PM in the House of Commons after making the switch.
But just how historically significant is this streak? Researchers and political historians say it's rare, but not without precedent.
A Feature of Canadian Politics Since the Beginning
Floor-crossing has been part of Canadian parliamentary life since the very first Parliament. MPs have always moved between parties for a mix of ideological, strategic, and personal reasons: and the practice has never really gone away.
The record holder for attracting floor-crossers is Sir John A. Macdonald, who saw nine opposition MPs join him during his tenure, including five on a single dramatic day in 1869. Context matters, though, many of those crossings came as the Anti-Confederation party collapsed, leaving its members without a political home.
Robert Borden received 17 MPs in total, though only one crossed mid-session. The other 16 were Liberals who ran as part of his Unionist government in the 1917 election focused on conscription, a different circumstance entirely.
What Makes Carney's Situation Noteworthy
Four MPs crossing to join the governing party mid-Parliament, within months of a new PM taking office, is a notable show of momentum. It signals either genuine ideological realignment, strategic self-interest, or both, and it gives Carney a stronger parliamentary position.
For context, floor-crossers going the other direction, leaving the governing party for the opposition, tend to make bigger headlines. MPs jumping ship to join the government are rarer, and often reflect a sense that the PM has political wind at their back.
What Comes Next
With a federal budget and ongoing economic turbulence on the agenda, Carney's ability to keep attracting political talent from across the aisle could prove useful. Whether this pace of floor-crossing continues, or whether the opposition hardens against him, is one of the more interesting subplots of the current parliamentary session.
Source: CBC News
