REGINA — A new essay published by the Fraser Institute argues that floor crossing by MPs and MLAs contributes to growing political cynicism in Canada.
The essay, written by former federal NDP MP and B.C. MLA Nathan Cullen, examines the practice of elected officials changing party affiliation after being elected — an issue that has drawn renewed attention following several recent defections from the Conservatives to the Liberals.
Titled Why Floor Crossing Reveals the Character Flaws of Our Politics and Makes Us All a Little More Cynical, the essay challenges the argument that voters primarily choose candidates based on the individual rather than the party they represent.
What Cullen particularly focuses on is the notion that voters elect MPs or MLAs because of the individual candidate rather than the broader party platform, leadership or political brand attached to them.
Cullen points to polling data from Nanos Research showing that only six per cent of Canadian voters say the candidate themselves is the main reason for their vote. According to the survey, 39 per cent cited the party leader as their primary motivation, 24 per cent pointed to the party itself, 15 per cent focused on policy and 13 per cent voted strategically or against another option.
“If you look at all the evidence, the reality is Canadians vote their elected people in mostly on issues like the party that they're a part of, the leader who's leading the party at the time or an issue,” said Cullen. “And that only six per cent of the decision to vote somebody in is based on the individual themselves, which is a little shocking, but it's the reality.”
Cullen acknowledged circumstances can change for elected officials, including disagreements with party leadership or changes in direction.
“Well, then that's fine,” he said. “But when you were elected, you were elected on a package. It wasn't just you alone.”
In the essay, Cullen argues politicians sometimes overestimate the personal factors behind their election victories, mistakenly believing their own abilities alone secured their seat.
He wrote that politicians can fall into a “dangerous self delusion” by believing their “intelligence, hard work and determination” are the primary reasons voters elected them.
“And I know many of my former colleagues had pretty healthy egos. I did as well," Cullen said. "We thought we were pretty awesome. And, you know, it was our awesomeness that got us elected. But we also know the evidence is overwhelming. When you ask Canadians of all the different reasons why you vote for somebody, pretty much the last reason is an individual themselves. And you can argue whether that's right or wrong. It is.”
Cullen compared floor crossing to breaking a contract with voters, arguing that the terms of the agreement change once a politician leaves the party under which they were elected.
He used the analogy of purchasing a vehicle, saying voters select a political “package” based on the party, leadership and platform offered during an election campaign.
“And they say, well, you should be happy because I'm a great guy. And it's like, no, no, I wanted that car over there. That's almost the same thing when a politician switches parties.
“They think everyone should be happy, and it's like, not really, because that's not what they bought.”
Cullen singled out the recent defection of Marilyn Gladu from the Conservatives to the Liberals as one of the clearest examples of the issue.
“She was considered one of the most conservative, socially conservative people in the whole parliament,” said Cullen.
“And that's fine. But to join a party that is not that way, that's the answer of what this is all really about. Is it about just getting more power, or is it about yourself? And that's no good, because we should run and serve. That's the whole point.”
Cullen said the federal NDP historically maintained a policy requiring elected officials who crossed the floor to seek a new mandate from voters through a by-election.
“People approached us from time to time and said, I'm thinking about crossing and we want to join the NDP. And we say, that's fine, but it's going to mean you have to go back to your voters and have a by-election. And that often ended the conversation pretty fast,” he said.
“But I was always supportive of that principle for us because otherwise it's all pretty cynical. It's kind of saying, this is all about me as the politician. I'm what matters in this.”
Cullen believes politicians who leave a party should either sit as independents until the next election or resign their seat before joining another party.
He pointed to New Zealand and several other countries that already have rules restricting floor crossing and said implementing similar legislation in Canada would be relatively straightforward.
“Yeah, you just need a majority in parliament. The NDP over several decades, going back to Ed Broadbent, have introduced bills that would do that,” Cullen said.
Cullen argued such changes would help restore trust in the political system while being more targeted than broader recall legislation used in provinces such as Alberta and British Columbia.
He noted recall systems can sometimes become tools for partisan political grievances rather than accountability.
He said he does not expect reforms to happen immediately but believes the discussion around floor crossing is likely to continue, particularly after the next federal election.
“It doesn't feel like it right now, basically because the current Prime Minister is very popular,” Cullen said. “Even with the floor crossings, that didn't seem to affect his popularity, because that's not what people are worried about right now. What they're worried about, primarily, is the economy, cost of living, and Donald Trump.”
“I think it’s probably going to be the next election, I doubt it’s going to happen in this parliament. But that’s okay. Changes sometimes take a little bit of time.”
