Newly released cabinet records show former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien instructed his ministers not to become actively involved in recruiting opposition MPs to cross the floor, despite political turmoil that eventually saw multiple Conservatives join the Liberal caucus.Blacklock's Reporter says the declassified minutes, obtained through the Access to Information Act, detail a confidential cabinet meeting held on May 8, 2001, when ministers discussed divisions within the Canadian Alliance and speculation that some MPs were considering defecting to the governing Liberals."The Prime Minister began the meeting by initiating a brief roundtable discussion among ministers on the national political situation," the cabinet minutes state.According to the records, ministers believed several Canadian Alliance MPs were considering crossing the floor to the Liberal Party amid internal party disputes."Several ministers spoke to the possibility of members of the Canadian Alliance Party choosing to cross the floor to join the Liberal Party in light of divisions within the Canadian Alliance Party," the minutes say.Chrétien responded by cautioning ministers against taking part in efforts to recruit opposition MPs."It was agreed that cabinet ministers should not become actively involved in such activities," the minutes state.The records do not identify any MPs by name or indicate that cabinet discussed individual defections..Between 2000 and 2005, however, eight former Conservative MPs ultimately joined the Liberal caucus: Scott Brison, André Harvey, David Kilgour, Keith Martin, Joe Peschisolido, David Price, Diane St-Jacques and Belinda Stronach.The Liberals also gained Bloc Québécois MP Robert Lanctot and New Democrat MP Rick Laliberte during that period.Floor-crossing is permitted under the Parliament of Canada Act, but the practice has come under renewed scrutiny following a series of defections that helped Prime Minister Mark Carney secure a working majority in the House of Commons.During the spring sitting, petitions calling for mandatory byelections when MPs change parties collected 121,801 signatures.New Democrat MP Don Davies reintroduced legislation on June 2 that would require MPs who leave the party under which they were elected to seek a new mandate from voters before sitting under another party banner."Political opportunism has gotten to such a point in this place that it's overriding fundamental respect for democracy," Davies said."Just because you can gain by violating democratic principles doesn't mean you should."Davies argued that voters elect candidates based on party affiliation and deserve another opportunity to cast ballots if their MP changes political allegiance."It’s elementary that in a democracy, elections are the primary opportunity for voters to express their democratic choice," he said. "When parliamentarians cross the floor to join a different party than they were elected with, they unilaterally alter the will of their electors.".He also warned that floor-crossing can erode public confidence in the political system."The corrosive effects on our democracy are profound," Davies said. "Voters lose trust in elections. The prospect that MPs have been enticed by backroom deals emerges, and the idea that only government members get resources for their constituencies brings pork barrel politics to the table."Carney's Liberals achieved their Commons majority with the support of five MPs who crossed the floor: former New Democrat Lori Idlout and former Conservatives Marilyn Gladu, Matt Jeneroux, Michael Ma and Chris d'Entremont.
