List of Canadian politicians who have crossed the floor
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Canadian politician
s who have crossed the floor
, in that they have changed party affiliation. These are Members of Parliament
(MPs) unless otherwise noted.
As a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1917
, Conservative Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden
forms a Union Government in an attempt to win support across party lines. Opposition leader Sir Wilfrid Laurier
refuses to support the new government but many of his MPs cross the floor to support the new government either as Unionist or Liberal-Unionist
candidates in the Canadian federal election of 1917
. Those loyal to Laurier run as Laurier-Liberals. Conversely, a number of Quebec Conservative MPs abandon Borden over the conscription issue and join the Liberals.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s who have crossed the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
, in that they have changed party affiliation. These are Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MPs) unless otherwise noted.
- MPPs are Members of Provincial Parliament of OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- MNAs are Members of the National Assembly of QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
- MHAs are Members of the House of AssemblyNewfoundland and Labrador House of AssemblyThe Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is one of two components of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, the other being the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland and Labrador General Assembly meets in the Confederation Building at St...
of Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400... - MLAs are Members of the Legislative AssemblyMember of the Legislative AssemblyA Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
of other provinces
Pre-confederation
- 1866: Andrew Rainsford WetmoreAndrew Rainsford WetmoreAndrew Rainsford Wetmore was a New Brunswick politician, jurist, and a member of a prominent United Empire Loyalist family....
, Anti-Confederate in the New BrunswickNew BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
colonial legislature, joins the Confederation PartyConfederation PartyConfederation Party was a term for the parties supporting Canadian confederation in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in the 1860s when politics became polarised between supporters and opponents of Confederation. The Confederation parties were accordingly opposed by Anti-Confederation...
after failing to win a desired cabinet post.
1860s
- September 1, 1868: Stewart Campbell, formerly an Anti-Confederate MP, becomes a Liberal-Conservative member.
- January 30, 1869: The Anti-Confederate Party, which opposed Nova Scotia joining Confederation, collapses. Members scatter among different parties:
- ConservativeConservative Party of Canada (historical)The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
: Alfred William SavaryAlfred William SavaryAlfred William Savary served as a Nova Scotia member of the 1st Canadian Parliament for the Digby riding.... - Liberal-ConservativeLiberal-Conservative PartyThe Liberal-Conservative Party was the formal name of the Conservative Party of Canada until 1873, although some Conservative candidates continued to run under the label as late as the 1911 election and others ran as simple Conservatives prior to 1873...
: Archibald Woodbury McLelan, James Charles McKeagneyJames Charles McKeagneyJames Charles McKeagney was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and judge.Born in County Tyrone, Ireland, he moved to Nova Scotia with his family in 1822. He was educated in Baddeck and at McQueen's Academy in Halifax. McKeagney was called to the Nova Scotia bar in 1838...
, Hugh McDonaldHugh McDonald (politician)Hugh Macdonald, PC was a lawyer, judge and member of the First Canadian Parliament. He represented the Antigonish riding of Nova Scotia, from 1867 to 1869, along with William Hallett Ray, as an Anti-Confederate and, from 1869 to 1873, as a Liberal-Conservative.The son of Allan McDonald and...
, Edmund Mortimer McDonaldEdmund Mortimer McDonaldEdmund Mortimer McDonald was a Nova Scotia journalist, publisher and political figure. He represented Lunenburg in the Canadian House of Commons as an Anti-Confederate and then a Liberal-Conservative from 1868 to 1872....
, Joseph HoweJoseph HoweJoseph Howe, PC was a Nova Scotian journalist, politician, and public servant. He is one of Nova Scotia's greatest and best-loved politicians...
, Thomas CoffinThomas Coffin (Canadian politician)Thomas Coffin, was a Canadian businessman and politician.He was born in Barrington, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia in 1817. He owned a general store and with his brother and other partners operated a sawmill and shipbuilding yard on the Clyde River from 1854 until late in the 1870s...
and Hugh Cameron. - LiberalLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
: James William CarmichaelJames William CarmichaelJames William Carmichael was a Nova Scotia businessman and political figure. He represented Pictou in the Canadian House of Commons as an Anti-Confederate and then a Liberal from 1867 to 1872 and from 1874 to 1878...
, William Henry ChipmanWilliam Henry ChipmanWilliam Henry Chipman was a Canadian politician and a member of the Canadian House of Commons for the riding of Kings in Nova Scotia....
, James Fraser ForbesJames Fraser ForbesJames Fraser Forbes was a Canadian politician and a member of the Canadian House of Commons for the riding of Queens in Nova Scotia....
, William RossWilliam Ross (Canadian politician)William Ross was a Canadian politician.Born in Boularderie, Nova Scotia, the son of John Ross, a Scottish immigrant, and Robina McKenzie, Ross was a merchant and shipbuilder. In 1855, he married Eliza Moore. He represented Victoria County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1857 to 1867...
, William Hallett RayWilliam Hallett RayWilliam Hallett Ray was a Canadian politician, farmer, and merchant.Born in Clementsport, Annapolis Valley, Ray was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for Annapolis County in an 1864 by-election held after James William Johnston was named to the bench...
, Patrick Power, - IndependentIndependent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
: Alfred Gilpin JonesAlfred Gilpin JonesAlfred Gilpin Jones, PC was a Canadian businessman, politician, and seventh Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia....
- Conservative
- October 9, 1869: Richard John CartwrightRichard John CartwrightSir Richard John Cartwright, PC, GCMG, PC was a Canadian businessman and politician. He was born and raised in Kingston, Ontario in a United Empire Loyalist family, the son of Harriet Dobbs Cartwright and the grandson of Richard Cartwright...
, formerly a Liberal-ConservativeLiberal-Conservative PartyThe Liberal-Conservative Party was the formal name of the Conservative Party of Canada until 1873, although some Conservative candidates continued to run under the label as late as the 1911 election and others ran as simple Conservatives prior to 1873...
MP, he became a LiberalLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
MP after being denied a position in the cabinet.
1870s
- 1873: Newton LeGayet MacKayNewton LeGayet MackayNewton LeGayet Mackay was a Canadian lawyer and political figure. He represented Cape Breton in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1878 as a Conservative and then Liberal member....
leaves the ConservativesConservative Party of Canada (historical)The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
for the LiberalsLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
. - 1874: Samuel McDonnellSamuel McDonnellSamuel McDonnell was a Canadian politician.Born in St. Andrews, County of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, the son of Donald McDonnell and Mary Macdonald, McDonnell studied law in Antigonish with William Alexander Henry. After being admitted to the Bar in 1862, he practiced law in Port Hood, Nova Scotia...
leaves the ConservativesConservative Party of Canada (historical)The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
for the LiberalsLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative... - 1879: Five Quebec MLAsLegislative Assembly of QuebecThe Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature until 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, the upper house of the legislature, the Legislative Council, was abolished...
leave the Quebec Liberals for the Conservatives, causing the government to fall:- Alexandre ChauveauAlexandre ChauveauAlexandre Chauveau was a lawyer, judge, educator and political figure in Quebec. He represented Rimouski in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1872 to 1880 as both a Conservative member and a Liberal cabinet minister.He was born in Quebec City, the son of Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau and...
- Edmund James FlynnEdmund James FlynnEdmund James Flynn was a Canadian politician and the tenth Premier of Quebec.-Background:Flynn, the son of Jacques Flynn and Elizabeth Tostevin, was born at Percé on November 16, 1847. He studied law at the Université Laval in Quebec City from 1871 to 1873, obtaining his degree with distinction. On...
- Louis Napoléon Fortin
- Étienne-Théodore PâquetÉtienne-Théodore PâquetÉtienne-Théodore Pâquet was a French-Canadian civil law notary, and provincial politician and civil servant. In 1879, he was one of four Liberal Members of the Legislative Assembly who crossed the floor in the middle of a parliamentary crisis, causing the Joly de Lotbinière government to...
- Ernest RacicotErnest RacicotErnest Racicot was a lawyer and political figure in Quebec. He represented Missisquoi in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1878 to 1881 as a Liberal then Conservative member....
- Alexandre Chauveau
1880s
- 1887: Guillaume AmyotGuillaume AmyotGuillaume Amyot was a Canadian politician, editor and lawyer. He was a Member of the Canadian House of Commons for the riding of Bellechasse, Quebec representing the historical Conservative Party...
leaves the ConservativeConservative Party of Canada (historical)The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
caucus to sit as a Nationalist. He later changes his designation to Nationalist ConservativeNationalist ConservativeThe label Nationalist Conservative was used by several Quebec Members of the Canadian Parliament and several unsuccessful candidates. They used this label in order to distinguish themselves from the British imperialist reputation of the Conservative Party or as a result of disputes with the...
.
1910s
- 1911: Louis-Joseph Papineau, Liberal MP since 1908, re-elected as a Conservative in 1911.
As a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1917
Conscription Crisis of 1917
The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War I.-Background:...
, Conservative Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
forms a Union Government in an attempt to win support across party lines. Opposition leader Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
refuses to support the new government but many of his MPs cross the floor to support the new government either as Unionist or Liberal-Unionist
Liberal-Unionist
For the British party see Liberal Unionist PartyLiberal-Unionists were supporters of the Liberal Party of Canada who, as a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1917 rejected Sir Wilfrid Laurier's leadership and supported the coalition Unionist government of Sir Robert Borden.Much of the Ontario...
candidates in the Canadian federal election of 1917
Canadian federal election, 1917
The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
. Those loyal to Laurier run as Laurier-Liberals. Conversely, a number of Quebec Conservative MPs abandon Borden over the conscription issue and join the Liberals.
- 1917: Louis-Joseph Papineau, leaves the Conservatives to run as a Laurier-Liberal as a result of the Conscription Crisis.
- 1917: Robert Lorne RichardsonRobert Lorne RichardsonRobert Lorne Richardson was a Canadian journalist, editor, newspaper owner, author, and politician.Born in Balderson, Lanark County, Upper Canada, the son of Joseph Richardson and Harriet Thompson, Richardson was educated at the Balderson Public School and in 1879 became a journalist working for...
, elected in the 1911 election as a Liberal (but previously sitting as variously a Liberal, Independent Liberal, Independent, and Independent Conservative) runs in the 1917 election as a Unionist. - 1917: Honoré AchimHonoré AchimHonoré Achim was a Canadian politician and lawyer. He was a member of the Conservative Party of Canada between November 15, 1911 and June 28, 1917 then crossed the floor to the Liberal Party of Canada, as a result of the conscription issue, where he remained until October 6, 1917.Born in Montreal,...
crosses the floor from the ConservativesConservative Party of Canada (historical)The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
to the LiberalsLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
over the conscriptionConscription Crisis of 1917The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War I.-Background:...
issue. Does not run for re-election. - 1917: William Andrew Charlton leaves the Liberal Party of Canada to run successfully as a Liberal-UnionistLiberal-UnionistFor the British party see Liberal Unionist PartyLiberal-Unionists were supporters of the Liberal Party of Canada who, as a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1917 rejected Sir Wilfrid Laurier's leadership and supported the coalition Unionist government of Sir Robert Borden.Much of the Ontario...
in the 1917 electionCanadian federal election, 1917The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
over conscription. - 1917: John Gillanders TurriffJohn Gillanders TurriffJohn Gillanders Turriff was a Canadian parliamentarian.Born in Petit-Métis, Canada East, Turriff as a young man settled in Western Canada, first in Manitoba, where he established himself as a farmer, and subsequently in that part of the North-West Territories which corresponds to the modern...
, sat as a Liberal since 1891, runs successfully as a Unionist in the 1917 election. - 1917: Alphonse VervilleAlphonse VervilleAlphonse Verville was a Canadian politician and trade unionist.Born and raised in the Côte-Saint-Paul neighbourhood of Montreal, Verville was a plumber by trade. At the age of 18 he moved to Chicago and joined the International Plumbers' Union. He returned to Montreal in 1893 and worked to...
, Labour MP since 1906 runs and re-elected as a Laurier-Liberal in 1917. - 1917: Levi ThomsonLevi ThomsonLevi Thomson was a farmer, lawyer and political figure in Saskatchewan, Canada. He represented Qu'Appelle in the Canadian House of Commons from 1911 to 1921 as a Liberal and then Unionist member....
, a Liberal MP since 1904, re-elected as a Unionist in 1917. - 1917: Frederick Forsyth PardeeFrederick Forsyth PardeeFrederick Forsyth Pardee was an Ontario barrister and political figure. He represented Lambton West in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1898 to 1902 as a Liberal member and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1905 to 1918 as a Liberal member and from 1918 to 1921 as a member of the...
, Liberal MP since 1905 re-elected as a Liberal-UnionistLiberal-UnionistFor the British party see Liberal Unionist PartyLiberal-Unionists were supporters of the Liberal Party of Canada who, as a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1917 rejected Sir Wilfrid Laurier's leadership and supported the coalition Unionist government of Sir Robert Borden.Much of the Ontario...
in 1917. - 1917: Edward Walter NesbittEdward Walter NesbittEdward Walter Nesbitt was an insurance and real estate agent and political figure in Ontario, Canada. He represented Oxford North in the Canadian House of Commons from 1908 to 1917 as a Liberal and from 1917 to 1921 as a Unionist Party member.He was born in Holbrook, Canada West, the son of John W...
, Liberal MP since 1908, re-elected as a Unionist in 1917. - 1917: Hugh Havelock McLeanHugh Havelock McLeanHugh Havelock McLean was a Canadian soldier, politician, and the 17th Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick from 1928 to 1935....
, Liberal MP since 1908, re-elected as a Unionist in 1917. - 1917: Thomas MacNuttThomas MacNuttThomas MacNutt was a Canadian politician who held national as well as province-wide office, as a former member of the Canadian House of Commons and the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. He won a number of significant recognized awards and honours in his career...
, Liberal MP since 1908, re-elected as a Unionist in 1917. - 1917: Alexander Kenneth MacLeanAlexander Kenneth MacleanAlexander Kenneth Maclean, was a Canadian politician.Born in Upper North Sydney, Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia, Maclean was educated at Pictou Academy and Dalhousie University...
, Liberal MP since 1900, re-elected as a Unionist in 1917. - 1917: William Stewart Loggie, Liberal MP since 1904, re-elected as a Unionist in 1917.
- 1917: Hugh GuthrieHugh GuthrieHugh Guthrie, PC, KC was a Canadian politician and Cabinet minister in the governments of Sir Robert Borden, Arthur Meighen and R. B. Bennett....
, Liberal MP since 1900, re-elected as a Unionist in 1917. - 1917: William Stevens FieldingWilliam Stevens FieldingWilliam Stevens Fielding, PC was a Canadian Liberal politician, the seventh Premier of Nova Scotia , and the federal finance minister 1896–1911 and 1921–25.-Early life:...
, Liberal MP since 1896, re-elected as a Liberal-Unionist in 1917. - 1917: James McCrie DouglasJames McCrie DouglasJames McCrie Douglas was a politician in Alberta, Canada, a mayor of Edmonton, and a member of the Canadian House of Commons.-Early life:...
, Liberal since 1909, re-elected as a Unionist in 1917. - 1917: Michael ClarkMichael Clark (Canadian politician)Michael Clark was a Canadian physician and politician from Alberta, Canada.-Early life:...
, Liberal since 1908, re-elected as a Liberal-Unionist in 1917. - 1917: Frank Broadstreet CarvellFrank Broadstreet CarvellFrank Broadstreet Carvell, PC was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician.Carvell was born in Woodstock, New Brunswick. His father was a farmer descended from United Empire Loyalists and his mother was an Ulster Protestant. He was educated locally and worked as a teacher...
, Liberal MP since 1900, joins Borden's Cabinet as Minister of Public Works in October 1917 and runs as a Liberal-Unionist in the subsequent election. - 1917: William Ashbury BuchananWilliam Ashbury BuchananWilliam Ashbury Buchanan, was a journalist, publisher and politician based in Alberta....
, Liberal MP since 1911, re-elected as a Unionist in 1917. - 1919: Andrew KnoxAndrew Knox (Canadian politician)Andrew Knox was an Irish-born farmer and political figure in Saskatchewan, Canada. He represented Prince Albert in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1925. He was elected to Parliament in the 1917 federal election as a Liberal-Unionist supporter of Sir Robert Borden's wartime Union...
, elected as a Liberal-Unionist in 1917, joins the ProgressivesProgressive Party of CanadaThe Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
in 1919. - 1919: George William AndrewsGeorge William Andrews (Canadian politician)George William Andrews was a Canadian politician and real estate agent. He was elected as a Liberal Unionist to the Canadian House of Commons in 1917 to represent the riding of Winnipeg Centre. He became an independent on June 2, 1919 and was defeated in the 1921 election...
, elected as the Liberal-Unionist MP for Winnipeg CentreWinnipeg CentreWinnipeg Centre is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1925 and since 1997...
in 1917, becomes an Independent on June 2, 1919 in protest of the government's handling of the Winnipeg General Strike.
1920s
- 1925: William BakerWilliam BakerWilliam Baker may refer to:*William Baker, builder after whom Baker Street, London, is named*William Baker, the real name of the title fictional character in Sandman ...
, Saskatchewan Labour MLA, becomes a Labour-Liberal MLA and then later solely a Liberal Party of Saskatchewan MLA in 1938. - 1929: Charles AgarCharles AgarCharles Agar was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler who played for Leicestershire. He was born in Rothley and died in Southfields....
, Saskatchewan Progressive MLA, joins Liberal Party of Saskatchewan
1930s
- October 14, 1935: Henry Herbert StevensHenry Herbert StevensHenry Herbert Stevens, PC was a Canadian politician and businessman. A member of R.B. Bennett's cabinet, he split with the Conservative Prime Minister to found the Reconstruction Party of Canada.-Early life:...
, Minister of Trade and Commerce in the ConservativeConservative Party of Canada (historical)The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
government of R.B. Bennett, leaves the party to form the Reconstruction Party of CanadaReconstruction Party of CanadaThe Reconstruction Party was a Canadian political party founded by Henry Herbert Stevens, a long-time Conservative Member of Parliament . Stevens served as Minister of Trade in the Arthur Meighen government of 1921, and as Minister of Trade and Commerce from 1930 to 1934 in the Depression-era...
, but then rejoined the Conservatives in 1938.
1950s
- 1952: Tilly Rolston - British Columbia Progressive ConservativeBritish Columbia Conservative PartyThe British Columbia Conservative Party is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected as the government in 1903, the party went into decline after 1933...
MLA crossed the floor to join the British Columbia Social Credit PartyBritish Columbia Social Credit PartyThe British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election...
of W.A.C. BennettW.A.C. BennettWilliam Andrew Cecil Bennett, PC, OC was the 25th Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia. With just over 20 years in office, Bennett was and remains the longest-serving premier in British Columbia history. He was usually referred to as W.A.C...
. - 1955: Ross Thatcher - Co-operative Commonwealth FederationCo-operative Commonwealth FederationThe Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
(CCF) MP from Saskatchewan leaves the party to sit as an Independent. He runs as a Liberal in the 1957 election but is defeated. Subsequently becomes leader of the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan and then Premier of Saskatchewan. - 1955: Sam DroverSam DroverSam Drover was a long time member of Newfoundland's House of Assembly and founded the Newfoundland Co-operative Commonwealth Federation , a social democratic political party....
leaves the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and LabradorLiberal Party of Newfoundland and LabradorThe Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a political party in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and the provincial wing of the Liberal Party of Canada. It is the Official Opposition and currently holds six seats in the provincial legislature.-Origins:The party originated in...
to become the province's first MHA representing the CCF, losing his seat in the next year's election.
1960s
- 1962: Failed New Democratic PartyNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP) leadership contender and former CCF leader Hazen ArgueHazen ArgueHazen Robert Argue, PC was a Canadian politician based in Saskatchewan who served in Ottawa for 43 years at various levels of Canada's federal government. He was first elected as a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Member of Parliament in 1945 and ended his career as a Liberal Party Senator...
crosses the floor to the Liberals. - 1967: Social Credit Party of CanadaSocial Credit Party of CanadaThe Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
MP Bud OlsonBud OlsonHorace Andrew Olson, PC, AOE was a Canadian businessman, politician, and the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. He also served as a Canadian Member of Parliament, Senator, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of Economic and Regional Development...
crosses the floor to the LiberalsLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
. - 1967 - René LévesqueRené LévesqueRené Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
, QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
MLA for Montreal-Laurier, Quebec Liberal Party to independent. Lévesque later formed the Mouvement Souveraineté-AssociationMouvement Souveraineté-AssociationThe Mouvement Souveraineté-Association was formed on November 19, 1967 by René Lévesque to promote the concept of sovereignty-association between Quebec and the rest of Canada....
and then the Parti QuébécoisParti QuébécoisThe Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
, on whose ticket he was re-elected in 1976. - 1968: Social Credit leader and MP Robert N. ThompsonRobert N. ThompsonRobert Norman Thompson was a Canadian politician, chiropractor, and educator. He was born in Duluth, Minnesota, to Canadian parents and moved to Canada in 1918 with his family...
joins the Progressive Conservative PartyProgressive Conservative Party of CanadaThe Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
. - 1969: Liberal MP Perry RyanSylvester Perry RyanSylvester Perry Ryan was a Canadian lawyer and politician.Ryan's federal political career began in 1949 when he ran, twice, for the Toronto seat of Greenwood...
(Spadina) quits the Liberal Party to sit as an independent because of the Trudeau government's policies on NATO and its decision to recognize the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. In 1970 Ryan joined the Progressive Conservatives, but lost his seat (coming 3rd) in the 1972 federal election.
1970s
- 1971 - Paul HellyerPaul HellyerPaul Theodore Hellyer, PC is a Canadian engineer, politician, writer and commentator who has had a long and varied career. He is the longest serving current member of the Privy Council, just ahead of Prince Philip.-Early life:...
, who had left the Liberal caucus to sit as an Independent Liberal and subsequently attempted to form a new party, Action CanadaAction CanadaThe Action Canada movement was an attempt to establish a new political party in Canada in 1971.Paul Hellyer, who had been a senior cabinet minister in the Liberal governments of prime ministers Lester B...
, joined the Progressive ConservativesProgressive Conservative Party of CanadaThe Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
, and sought its leadership in 1976. (In 1982, outside of Parliament and the political spotlight, he rejoined the Liberals, in 1995 formed the Canadian Action PartyCanadian Action PartyThe Canadian Action Party is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1997. It promotes Canadian nationalism, monetary and electoral reform, and opposes neoliberal globalization and free trade agreements.- Background :The Canadian Action Party was founded by Paul T...
, and in the 2000s sought to merge it with the NDP.) - 1972: Raymond RockRaymond RockRaymond Rock is a former Canadian politician and a businessman. He was elected Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party representing the riding of Jacques-Cartier—Lasalle in the 1962 federal election and later represented the riding of Lachine...
physically crossed the floor from the LiberalsLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
caucus to join the Progressive ConservativesProgressive Conservative Party of CanadaThe Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
. - 1974 Garde GardomGarde GardomGarde Basil Gardom, QC, OBC is a Canadian politician, lawyer, and the 26th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.Born in Banff, Alberta, he obtained his BA and LLB degrees from the University of British Columbia. During his undergraduate years, he was an active member of the BC Alpha Chapter of...
, Pat McGeerPat McGeerPatrick Lucey "Pat" McGeer, OC, OBC, FRSC , is a Canadian physician, professor and medical researcher. He is regarded as a leading authority on the causes and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and is the principal author of the inflammatory hypothesis of the disease, which holds that Alzheimer's...
, and Alan WilliamsAlan WilliamsAlan John Williams is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Swansea West from 1964 to 2010.-Early life:...
, all Liberal MLABritish Columbia Liberal PartyThe British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
crossed to Social CreditBritish Columbia Social Credit PartyThe British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election... - 1974 Hugh Curtis, BC Conservative MLA crossed to Social Credit
- 1975 Frank CalderFrank Arthur CalderFrank Arthur Calder, was a Nisga'a politician in Canada, the first Status Indian to be elected to any legislature in Canada....
MLA for Atlin since 1949 crossed floor from NDPNew Democratic Party of British ColumbiaThe New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
to Social CreditBritish Columbia Social Credit PartyThe British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election...
. - 1977 - Jack Horner, Progressive Conservatives to Liberals; joined Pierre TrudeauPierre TrudeauJoseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
's cabinet. Defeated as Liberal candidate in 1979Canadian federal election, 1979The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
. - 1977 - Colin ThatcherColin ThatcherWilbert Colin Thatcher is a Canadian former politician convicted for the murder of his ex-wife, JoAnn Wilson.-Political life:Colin Thatcher is the son of Wilbert Ross Thatcher, premier of Saskatchewan from 1964 to 1971...
, SaskatchewanSaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
MLA for Thunder Creek, LiberalSaskatchewan Liberal PartyThe Saskatchewan Liberal Party is a liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.-Early history :The party dominated Saskatchewan politics for the province's first forty years providing six of the first seven Premiers, and being in power for all but five of the years between the...
s to the ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of SaskatchewanThe Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a right-of-centre political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories....
s. - 1978 - James Armstrong RichardsonJames Armstrong RichardsonJames Armstrong Richardson, PC was a Canadian Cabinet minister under Pierre Trudeau, and a Winnipeg businessman....
leaves the LiberalsLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
by physically crossing the floor to sit as an independent MP.
1980s
- 1980: Thomas RideoutThomas RideoutThomas Gerald Rideout served as the 4th Premier of Newfoundland.Born in Fleur de Lys, Newfoundland, Rideout was first elected to the provincial House of Assembly in the 1975 general election as a Liberal but left the party in 1980 to join the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Brian...
, Liberal Party of Newfoundland and LabradorLiberal Party of Newfoundland and LabradorThe Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a political party in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and the provincial wing of the Liberal Party of Canada. It is the Official Opposition and currently holds six seats in the provincial legislature.-Origins:The party originated in...
MHA, crosses the floor to join the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and LabradorProgressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and LabradorFor pre-1949 Conservative parties see Conservative parties in Newfoundland The Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a centre-right provincial political party in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Originally founded in 1949 the party has formed the Government of...
over disputes with the federal government concerning control of offshore mineral resources. - 1980: Dick CollverDick CollverRichard Lee "Dick" Collver led the Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative Party from 1973 to 1978.Having earned an arts degree in economics from the University of Alberta, he articled as an accountant for Price Waterhouse in Calgary before moving to Saskatchewan in 1965...
and Dennis Ham leave the Progressive Conservative Party of SaskatchewanProgressive Conservative Party of SaskatchewanThe Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a right-of-centre political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories....
to form the Unionest PartyUnionest PartyThe Unionest Party was a provincial political party in Saskatchewan, Canada, in the early 1980s, that advocated union between the four western provinces of Canada and the United States....
that advocates for the western Provinces to join the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Both do not seek re-election in 1982 and their party dies. - 1982: Peter IttinuarPeter IttinuarPeter Freuchen K. Ittinuar is a Canadian politician. He was the first Inuk in Canada to be elected as an MP, and represented the electoral district of Nunatsiaq in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1984....
, MP, New Democrats to Liberals - 1985 Alan Lawrence Passarell MLA for AtlinAtlin (electoral district)Atlin was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It made its first appearance on the hustings in the 10th provincial general election in 1903 and last appeared in the 34th provincial general election in 1986, after which it was merged with the Skeena riding.-...
that defeated Frank Calder crosses from NDP to Social Credit - 1985 Graham Lea Prince Rupert MLA left the NDP after he was badly defeated in the NDP leadership race. He joined the recently formed but short lived United Party of BC and then joined the British Columbia Conservative PartyBritish Columbia Conservative PartyThe British Columbia Conservative Party is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected as the government in 1903, the party went into decline after 1933...
becoming its last ever MLA. - 1986: Gilles RochGilles RochGilles Roch is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1986 to 1990, representing the rural riding of Springfield....
, Manitoba Liberal PartyManitoba Liberal PartyThe Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
MLA, defects to the Progressive Conservative Party of ManitobaProgressive Conservative Party of ManitobaThe Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
after being denied permission to run as a Liberal candidate. - 1986: David RamsayDavid James RamsayDavid James Ramsay is a politician in Ontario, Canada.-Early life and career:Born in Australia, Ramsay moved to Canada with his parents at age one after having been adopted in Sydney, and was raised in Oakville, Ontario...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
MPP, Ontario New Democratic PartyOntario New Democratic PartyThe Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
to Ontario Liberal PartyOntario Liberal PartyThe Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and... - 1986: Tony LupusellaTony LupusellaAntonio Lupusella is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1990...
, Ontario MPP, Ontario New Democratic PartyOntario New Democratic PartyThe Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
to Ontario Liberal PartyOntario Liberal PartyThe Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
1990s
- 1990: Lucien BouchardLucien BouchardLucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...
, MP, Progressive Conservatives to independent; with other MPs, he formed the Bloc QuébécoisBloc QuébécoisThe Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
. - 1990: David KilgourDavid KilgourDavid Kilgour, PC is a former Canadian politician.Kilgour graduated from the University of Manitoba in economics in 1962 and the University of Toronto law school in 1966. From crown attorney in northern Alberta to Canadian Cabinet minister, Kilgour ended his 27 year tenure in the Canadian House of...
, MP, Progressive Conservatives to independent, and later to Liberals. In 2005, Kilgour left the Liberal Party to sit as an independent. - 1990: Jean LapierreJean LapierreJean-Charles Lapierre, PC is a Canadian television broadcaster and a former federal politician.He was Paul Martin's Quebec lieutenant during the period of the Martin government. He returned to the Canadian House of Commons after an eleven year absence when he won a seat in the 2004 federal...
, Liberal MP for Shefford, Quebec, leaves Liberal caucus to sit as a member of the Bloc Québécois. Lapierre would eventually return as a Liberal and was elected to the House of Commons in 2004. - 1992: Richard Holden (politician)Richard Holden (politician)Richard B. Holden was a lawyer and member of the provincial legislature of Quebec, Canada. An obituary describes him as cynical and self-deprecating, a boulevardier and a maverick.-Personal life:...
, QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
MNA for Westmount, Equality PartyEquality Party (Quebec)The Equality Party was a political party in Quebec, Canada, that promoted the use of English in Quebec on an equal basis with French. Four Equality Party members were elected to Quebec's National Assembly in 1989, as part of an anglophone reaction to changes made by the governing Liberals to...
to independent to Parti QuébécoisParti QuébécoisThe Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
. This move was seen as unusual as the Equality Party, a federalistCanadian federalismCanada is a federation with two distinct jurisdictions of political authority: the country-wide federal government and the ten regionally-based provincial governments. It also has three territorial governments in the far north, though these are subject to the federal government...
English-rights party, was the ideological opposite of the PQ. - 1993: Gordon WilsonGordon Wilson (Canadian politician)Gordon Wilson is a former provincial politician in British Columbia. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of BC from 1987–1993, leader and founder of the Progressive Democratic Alliance from 1993–1997, and in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Finance and Minister of Employment, Investment...
and Judi Tyabji, British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
MLAs, British Columbia Liberal PartyBritish Columbia Liberal PartyThe British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
to the Progressive Democratic AllianceProgressive Democratic AllianceThe Progressive Democratic Alliance was a centrist political party in British Columbia, Canada founded by Gordon Wilson, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Powell River—Sunshine Coast....
they founded. - 1993: Glen McPherson leaves the New Democratic Party of Saskatchewan and joins the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan.
- 1994: Jag BhaduriaJag BhaduriaJagdish Singh Bhaduria is a former Canadian politician....
leaves the Liberal caucus to sit as an Independent. In 1996, he styled himself Liberal Democrat; while not a registered political party, this identification was recognized in HansardHansardHansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
. In 1997, he re-offered for his seat as an Independent, and was defeated. - 1995: Richard NeufeldRichard NeufeldRichard Neufeld is a Canadian Senator for British Columbia. Before his appointment to the Senate, he was a British Columbia Liberal Party Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1991 to 2008, serving as Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources in the cabinet of Gordon...
, Lyall Hanson, Len FoxLen FoxLeonard Phillips Fox was an Australian author and painter, born in Melbourne.His uncle was the painter Emanuel Phillips Fox, who died when Len was 10. In 1984 he was to donate a painting Sunlight Effect painted by his uncle ca...
and Jack WeisgerberJack WeisgerberJohn Sylvester Weisgerber is a Canadian politician and businessman. He is a former member of the Legislative Assembly in British Columbia. During his political career he was briefly the leader of both the British Columbia Social Credit Party and the Reform Party of British Columbia...
MLAs left Social Credit to join Reform Party of British ColumbiaReform Party of British ColumbiaThe Reform Party of British Columbia is a populist right wing political party in British Columbia, Canada. Although its name is similar to the defunct Reform Party of Canada, the provincial party was founded before the federal party was and it did not have any formal association with... - 1996: John NunziataJohn NunziataJohn Nunziata is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 2000, initially as a Liberal and later as an independent member.-Background:...
, expelled from the Liberal caucus as a result of voting against the 1996 budgetBudgetA budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
in protest, claiming a broken promise on the elimination of the Goods and Services TaxGoods and Services Tax (Canada)The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...
. He was re-elected as an independent in 1997Canadian federal election, 1997The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government... - 1997: Richard NeufeldRichard NeufeldRichard Neufeld is a Canadian Senator for British Columbia. Before his appointment to the Senate, he was a British Columbia Liberal Party Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1991 to 2008, serving as Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources in the cabinet of Gordon...
MLA left Reform Party of British ColumbiaReform Party of British ColumbiaThe Reform Party of British Columbia is a populist right wing political party in British Columbia, Canada. Although its name is similar to the defunct Reform Party of Canada, the provincial party was founded before the federal party was and it did not have any formal association with...
for the British Columbia Liberal PartyBritish Columbia Liberal PartyThe British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election... - 1997: Gordon WilsonGordon Wilson (Canadian politician)Gordon Wilson is a former provincial politician in British Columbia. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of BC from 1987–1993, leader and founder of the Progressive Democratic Alliance from 1993–1997, and in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Finance and Minister of Employment, Investment...
after being re-elected as a Progressive Democrat, Progressive Democratic AllianceProgressive Democratic AllianceThe Progressive Democratic Alliance was a centrist political party in British Columbia, Canada founded by Gordon Wilson, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Powell River—Sunshine Coast....
to the British Columbia New Democratic Party; joined Glen ClarkGlen ClarkGlen David Clark is a politician in British Columbia, Canada who served as the 31st Premier of British Columbia from 1996 to 1999.-Early life and education:...
's cabinet. - 1997: Bob BjornerudBob BjornerudBob Bjornerud is a Canadian provincial politician. He is the Saskatchewan Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Melville-Saltcoats.-External links:**...
, June DraudeJune DraudeJune Draude is a Canadian provincial politician. She is the Saskatchewan Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Kelvington-Wadena....
, Ken KrawetzKen KrawetzKenneth Patrick Krawetz is a Canadian provincial politician. He is the Saskatchewan Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Canora-Pelly, and the current Deputy Premier of Saskatchewan.-Background:...
, and Rod GantefoerRod GantefoerRod Gantefoer is a Canadian provincial politician. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan since 1995, representing the constituencies of Melfort-Tisdale from 1995 to 2003 and Melfort since 2003....
leave the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan to help form the Saskatchewan PartySaskatchewan PartyThe Saskatchewan Party is a conservative liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal party members and supporters who sought to remove the Saskatchewan New Democratic...
. - 1997: Bill BoydBill Boyd (Canadian politician)Bill Boyd is a provincial level politician from Saskatchewan, Canada. He served as a member of the Saskatchewan Legislature from 1991 to 2002 and returned to office in the 2007 Saskatchewan general election....
, Don TothDon TothDonald James Toth is a Canadian provincial politician and the current Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. He has represented the constituency of Moosomin in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan since 1986. Originally elected as a member of the Progressive Conservatives, he...
, Ben HeppnerBen HeppnerBen Heppner, CC is a Canadian tenor, specializing in opera and other classical works for voice.Heppner was born in Murrayville, British Columbia, and lived in Dawson Creek...
and Dan D'Autremont leave the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan to help form the Saskatchewan PartySaskatchewan PartyThe Saskatchewan Party is a conservative liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal party members and supporters who sought to remove the Saskatchewan New Democratic...
. - 1997: Jack Gooshen leaves the Progressive Conservative Party of SaskatchewanProgressive Conservative Party of SaskatchewanThe Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a right-of-centre political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories....
to sit as an independent. - 1997: Arlene JuléArlene JuléArlene Julé is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Humboldt in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1995 to 2003. First elected as a member of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party, she joined the new Saskatchewan Party caucus in 1997.-References:...
leaves the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan to sit as an independent. - 1998: Alex CullenAlex CullenAlexander Shaun Cullen is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a former Member of Provincial Parliament in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and a former member of Ottawa City Council, representing the Bay Ward in Ottawa's west end.-Early life and city politics:Cullen was born February 18,...
, Ontario MPP, Ontario Liberal PartyOntario Liberal PartyThe Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
to independent, and the Ontario New Democratic PartyOntario New Democratic PartyThe Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
eight days later. - 1998: Buckley BelangerBuckley BelangerBuckley Harold Belanger is a Canadian provincial politician. He is currently the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Athabasca....
, Sasaktchewan MLA, resigned as Liberal Party of Saskatchewan MLA to run for the Saskatchewan New Democratic PartySaskatchewan New Democratic PartyThe Saskatchewan New Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It currently forms the official opposition, but has been a dominant force in Saskatchewan politics since the 1940s...
. He won re-election as a New Democrat with the second highest percentage of vote in Saskatchewan history - 1997: Arlene JuléArlene JuléArlene Julé is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Humboldt in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1995 to 2003. First elected as a member of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party, she joined the new Saskatchewan Party caucus in 1997.-References:...
joins the Saskatchewan PartySaskatchewan PartyThe Saskatchewan Party is a conservative liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal party members and supporters who sought to remove the Saskatchewan New Democratic...
and is no longer an independent. - 1999: Angela VautourAngela VautourAngela Vautour is a former Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Beauséjour—Petitcodiac in the House of Commons from 1997 to 2000....
leaves the New Democratic caucus for the Progressive Conservative caucus. - 1999: Anna-Marie CastrilliAnna-Marie CastrilliAnnamarie Castrilli is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. A lawyer, and university lecturer, she sat on several boards of directors, including being the chair of the University of Toronto's Governing Council...
, Ontario MPP, Ontario Liberal PartyOntario Liberal PartyThe Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
to Progressive Conservative Party of OntarioProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioThe Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
after losing the Liberal nomination in York CentreYork CentreYork Centre is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1917 and since 1953....
to Monte KwinterMonte KwinterMonte Kwinter is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1985, was a cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson from 1985 to 1990, and was re-appointed to a cabinet position when the Liberals returned to power under Dalton...
(a reduction in ridings had forced the two MPPs to compete for the nomination). However, rather than running in York Centre, Castrilli runs in the 1999 provincial electionOntario general election, 1999An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
in Parkdale—High ParkParkdale—High ParkParkdale—High Park is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.Peggy Nash of the New Democratic Party was elected the Member of Parliament for the riding on May 2, 2011....
against Liberal MPP Gerard KennedyGerard KennedyGerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's Minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada...
and is defeated.
2000s
- April 2000 - André HarveyAndré HarveyAndré Harvey, PC is a consultant, politician and former teacher in Quebec, Canada.Harvey was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1984 general election that brought Brian Mulroney to power...
, MP, Progressive Conservative to independent. - September 12, 2000 - David PriceDavid Price (Canadian politician)David Price, PC was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004, serving in the 36th and 37th Canadian Parliaments....
, MP, and Diane St-JacquesDiane St-JacquesDiane St-Jacques is a Canadian politician.Formerly promotional coordinator for Agropur in Granby, and advertising consultant for a radio station in Sherbrooke, involved in the community in a variety of volunteer roles, and involved in politics since 1979, St-Jacques first stood for office in the...
, MP, Progressive Conservative to Liberal; André HarveyAndré HarveyAndré Harvey, PC is a consultant, politician and former teacher in Quebec, Canada.Harvey was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1984 general election that brought Brian Mulroney to power...
, former PC MP, independent since April, also joined the Liberals at the same announcement. St-Jacques and Price reportedly told PC leader Joe ClarkJoe ClarkCharles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
months earlier that they would leave the party. http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/history&people/canada_y2k.html - September 27, 2000 - Rick LaliberteRick LaliberteRick Laliberte is a former Canadian Member of Parliament for the riding of Churchill River, a riding that encompasses the northern half of the province of Saskatchewan....
, NDPNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
MP, sits as a Liberal and later switched to independent for the 2004 election. - 2001 - Jean-Guy CarignanJean-Guy CarignanJean-Guy Carignan BA, MBA was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 2000 to 2004. He was an administrator by career....
, Liberal MP, to Independent-Liberal, to Liberal to Independent. - 2001 - Jim MelenchukJim MelenchukJim Melenchuk is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Saskatoon Northwest in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1999 to 2003....
and Ron OsikaRon OsikaRonald Osika is a Saskatchewan politician.He was born in Hafford, Saskatchewan and educated in The Battlefords. A former officer in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Osika's first foray into politics was an unsuccessful bid for a Reform Party nomination in 1992.He was first elected from Melville...
leave the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan when the party leaves the coalition with NDP. Both decide to continue to support the government and stay in cabinet. In the 2003 election both run for the New Democratic Party of Saskatchewan and are defeated. - 2001 - MPs Art HangerArt HangerArthur "Art" Hanger is a Canadian politician.Hanger is a former member of the Conservative Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, having represented the riding of Calgary Northeast since 1993 until his retirement in 2008. He has also been a member of the Reform Party of Canada , and the...
, Chuck StrahlChuck StrahlCharles Strahl, PC, MP was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. He was a Member of Parliament in the governing Conservative Party of Canada.-Before politics:...
, Gary LunnGary LunnGary Vincent Lunn, PC, MP is the former Canadian Member of Parliament for the British Columbia riding of Saanich—Gulf Islands. He served in the House of Commons from 1997 to 2011, first as a member of the Reform Party of Canada and subsequently as a member of the Canadian Alliance and the...
, Jim PankiwJim PankiwJim Pankiw is a Canadian politician and former Member of Parliament.Pankiw served two terms in the Canadian House of Commons, representing Saskatoon—Humboldt in Saskatchewan from 1997 until 2004 as a member of the Reform Party of Canada, the Canadian Alliance, the Democratic Representative Caucus...
, Val MeredithVal MeredithValerie Meredith was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2004. She was a realtor by career....
, Grant McNallyGrant McNallyGrant McNally was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004. He was educated at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC. By career, he is a teacher....
, Jay HillJay HillJay D. Hill PC is a former Canadian politician and member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He was the Member of Parliament for the riding of Prince George—Peace River from 1993 until his retirement in 2010. He also served as Government House Leader in the Canadian House of Commons during his...
, Jim GoukJim GoukJames William "Jim" Gouk is a Canadian politician.Gouk began his political career as an alderman in Castlegar, British Columbia. Gouk would enter federal politics in 1993 when he was elected into the Canadian House of Commons. In the Canadian federal election, 1993 he was elected in Kootenay...
, Monte SolbergMonte SolbergMonte Kenton Solberg, PC is a former Canadian Member of Parliament, representing the riding of Medicine Hat in the Canadian House of Commons as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He was the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development...
, Andy BurtonAndy BurtonAndy Burton is a Canadian politician.Burton immigrated with his family to Canada from England in 1952 at the age of 10. He grew up in Prince George, British Columbia. In the early 1960s, he worked as a highway surveyor and then as a bulk plant manager for Shell Petroleum...
, Brian FitzpatrickBrian Fitzpatrick (Canadian politician)Brian Fitzpatrick is a Canadian politician.After serving as a board of education trustee in Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Fitzpatrick ran in the Canadian federal election, 2000 for the Canadian Alliance...
, Deborah GreyDeborah GreyDeborah Cleland Grey, OC, sometimes called Deb Grey is a former Canadian Member of Parliament from Alberta for the Reform Party of Canada, Canadian Alliance and Conservative Party of Canada....
, and Inky MarkInky MarkInky Mark is a Canadian politician and a former member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the Manitoba riding of Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette. Mark is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
were either expelled from or voluntarily left the Canadian AllianceCanadian AllianceThe Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
caucus after publicly criticizing party leader Stockwell DayStockwell DayStockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP is a former Canadian politician, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He is a former cabinet minister in Alberta, and a former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Day was MP for the riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla in British Columbia and the president of...
, and sat as an "Independent Alliance Caucus". Hanger, Gouk, Solberg, Fitzpatrick and Burton returned to the Alliance at the end of the summer; the remaining MPs continued to sit as the Democratic Representative CaucusDemocratic Representative CaucusThe Democratic Representative Caucus was a group of Canadian Members of Parliament who left the Canadian Alliance in 2001 in protest against the leadership of Stockwell Day...
. All but Mark and Pankiw eventually rejoined the Alliance by 2002. - 2002 - Inky MarkInky MarkInky Mark is a Canadian politician and a former member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the Manitoba riding of Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette. Mark is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
, Democratic Representative CaucusDemocratic Representative CaucusThe Democratic Representative Caucus was a group of Canadian Members of Parliament who left the Canadian Alliance in 2001 in protest against the leadership of Stockwell Day...
MP to independent, then later to the Progressive Conservatives. - 2002 - Jim PankiwJim PankiwJim Pankiw is a Canadian politician and former Member of Parliament.Pankiw served two terms in the Canadian House of Commons, representing Saskatoon—Humboldt in Saskatchewan from 1997 until 2004 as a member of the Reform Party of Canada, the Canadian Alliance, the Democratic Representative Caucus...
, Democratic Representative CaucusDemocratic Representative CaucusThe Democratic Representative Caucus was a group of Canadian Members of Parliament who left the Canadian Alliance in 2001 in protest against the leadership of Stockwell Day...
was denied permission to rejoin the Canadian AllianceCanadian AllianceThe Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
and sat the remainder of his term as an independent MP. - May 2002 - Dennis FentieDennis FentieDennis G. Fentie, MLA is a Canadian politician. He was the seventh Premier of Yukon and leader of the Yukon Party, serving from 2002 to 2011, as well as the MLA for Watson Lake.-Background:...
, MLA for the Yukon New Democratic PartyYukon New Democratic PartyThe Yukon New Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Yukon territory of Canada.The Yukon NDP first formed the government of the territory under the leadership of Tony Penikett from 1985 to 1992, and under the leadership of Piers McDonald from 1996 to 2000. The party's...
, leaves the party to join the conservative Yukon PartyYukon PartyThe Yukon Party , is a conservative political party in the Yukon Territory of Canada. It was previously known as the Yukon Progressive Conservative Party.-Declining fortunes:...
. - 2002 - Joe PeschisolidoJoe PeschisolidoJoe Peschisolido is a Canadian politician and businessman.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Peschisolido has a BA degree in Political Science from Trinity College at the University of Toronto and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School.In 1993, Peschisolido joined the Reform Party of Canada...
, Canadian AllianceCanadian AllianceThe Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
MP to Liberal. - 2002 - Ghislain LebelGhislain LebelGhislain Lebel is a Quebec politician and notary.-Background:Ghislain Lebel has been an activist in the Quebec independence movement since his teenage years, having been part of the Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale, the Mouvement souveraineté-association and the Parti Québécois since...
, Bloc QuébécoisBloc QuébécoisThe Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, to independent. - 2003 - Pierre BrienPierre BrienPierre Brien was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2003. By career, he has worked in administration and economics....
, Bloc QuébécoisBloc QuébécoisThe Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, to independent. - December 11, 2003 - Scott BrisonScott BrisonScott A. Brison, PC, MP is a Canadian politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. Brison has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Kings-Hants since the 1997 federal election. Brison was originally elected as a Progressive Conservative but crossed the floor to join the Liberal Party in 2003...
, Progressive Conservative MP to Liberals on the former's merger into the Conservative Party. Also Robert LanctôtRobert LanctôtRobert Lanctôt is a former Canadian politician.A lawyer by profession, Lanctôt was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Bloc Québécois in the 2000 federal election representing the riding of Châteauguay...
, Bloc QuébécoisBloc QuébécoisThe Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, to Liberal. - February 17, 2004 - John BrydenJohn H. BrydenJohn H. Bryden is a Canadian politician, journalist, historian.-Education:He received an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History from McMaster University in 1966, and a Masters of Philosophy in English from the University of Leeds in 1968.-Early career:From 1969 to 1989, Bryden held...
, Liberal MP sits as an Independent. - February 25, 2004 - John Bryden, Independent MP, sits with the new Conservative PartyConservative Party of CanadaThe Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
. He subsequently lost the Conservative nomination in his riding held shortly after his switch. - January 14, 2004 - Keith Martin, Canadian AllianceCanadian AllianceThe Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
MP, sits as an Independent and announces he intends to seek the Liberal Party's nomination for his riding to protest the former's merger into the Conservative PartyConservative Party of CanadaThe Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
. He subsequently won the nomination, won the election and sat in the Liberal caucus until his retirement in 2011. - June 8, 2004 - Anne CoolsAnne CoolsAnne Clare Cools is a member of the Canadian Senate. Born in Barbados, with her appointment, she became the first Black Canadian to be appointed to Canada's upper house...
, appointed to the SenateCanadian SenateThe Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
as a Liberal, announces that she will be crossing the floor to sit as a Conservative. - June 29, 2004 - Gary MasykGary MasykGary Masyk is a businessman and politician in Alberta, Canada.Born in High Prairie, Masyk owned Garco Oilfield Service and Masyk Lumber Company before entering politics...
, AlbertaAlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
MLA, crosses the floor from the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party to the Alberta Alliance PartyAlberta Alliance PartyThe Alberta Alliance was a right wing provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Many of its members were former supporters of the now-defunct Canadian Alliance federal political party and its predecessor, the Reform Party of Canada. Members also joined from such other provincial fringe parties...
. - November 22, 2004 - Carolyn Parrish, Liberal MP, was suspended from the caucus on November 18 after public comments about the Liberal party and Prime Minister Paul MartinPaul MartinPaul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
. She decided to sit as an Independent member four days later. - 2005 - David KilgourDavid KilgourDavid Kilgour, PC is a former Canadian politician.Kilgour graduated from the University of Manitoba in economics in 1962 and the University of Toronto law school in 1966. From crown attorney in northern Alberta to Canadian Cabinet minister, Kilgour ended his 27 year tenure in the Canadian House of...
, MP, Liberals to independent. - May 17, 2005 - Belinda StronachBelinda StronachBelinda Caroline Stronach, PC is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the floor to join the Liberals...
, MP, Conservative Party to Liberals and joined Paul MartinPaul MartinPaul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
's cabinet. - June 6, 2005 - Pat O'BrienPat O'Brien (politician)Patrick Wayne "Pat" O'Brien, is a former member of the Canadian House of Commons. Elected as a Liberal, he ended his career in 2005 as the independent Member of Parliament for London—Fanshawe in London, Ontario....
, Liberals sits as an Independent MP. - October 17, 2005 - Bev DesjarlaisBev DesjarlaisBev Desjarlais is a retired Canadian politician. She represented Churchill in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2006, initially as a New Democrat and later as an Independent after losing her party nomination in late 2005...
, NDPNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, sits as an Independent MP after losing her party's nomination for an upcoming election - January 13, 2006 - Frank BranchFrank BranchFrank Richard Branch is a former Canadian politician.A Liberal, he was first elected to the New Brunswick Legislature to the multi-member riding for Gloucester County in the 1970 provincial election. He was re-elected to the legislature for the single member riding of Nepisiguit-Chaleur in 1974,...
, deanDean of the HouseThe Dean of the House is the member with the longest unbroken record of service in several legislatures. Specific positions include:*Dean of the United States House of Representatives.*Dean of the House of Commons, the dean in the Canadian House of Commons....
of the New Brunswick legislature and MLA for NepisiguitNepisiguit (electoral district)Nepisiguit is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. It was known as Nepisiguit-Chaleur from 1974 to 1995.-MLAs:*Frank Branch, Liberal *Alban Landry, Liberal...
, switches his affiliate from LiberalNew Brunswick Liberal AssociationThe New Brunswick Liberal Association , more popularly known as the New Brunswick Liberal Party or Liberal Party of New Brunswick, is one of the two major political parties in the Canadian province of New Brunswick...
to independent pending a police investigation into his business practices - February 6, 2006 - David EmersonDavid EmersonDavid Lee Emerson, PC, OBC is a Canadian politician, businessman and civil servant.Emerson is a former Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver Kingsway. He was first elected as a Liberal and served as Minister of Industry under Prime Minister Paul Martin...
, MP, LiberalsLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
to ConservativesConservative Party of CanadaThe Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
and joined Stephen HarperStephen HarperStephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
's cabinet two weeks after the election. - February 21, 2006 - Michael MalleyMichael MalleyMichael "Tanker" Malley is a former politician in the Canadian Province of New Brunswick. He represented the riding of Miramichi-Bay du Vin in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006 and served as Speaker of the Assembly for part of 2006.Malley, a former Miramichi city...
, New Brunswick MLA for Miramichi-Bay du Vin, Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of New BrunswickThe Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick is a centre-right political party in New Brunswick, Canada. It has its origins in the pre-Canadian confederation Conservative Party that opposed the granting of responsible government to the colony...
to independent, after being turned down for a New Brunswick cabinet position and other demands. This move changed the balance of power from a majority government to a minority government in the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly. - April 13, 2006 - Michael Malley switches from independent back to Progressive Conservative while serving as speakerSpeaker (politics)The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
. This is seen as precedentPrecedentIn common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a principle or rule established in a legal case that a court or other judicial body may apply when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts...
setting. - January 5, 2007 - Wajid KhanWajid KhanWajid Ali Khan is a Canadian businessman and politician. Until 2008, he was a member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Mississauga—Streetsville as a Conservative Member of Parliament.-Early life:Khan served as an officer and a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force from 1966 to...
, MP, leaves the LiberalsLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
and joins the ConservativesConservative Party of CanadaThe Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
. - March 29, 2007 - Tim PetersonTim PetersonTim Peterson is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the Greater Toronto Area riding of Mississauga South...
, MPP in Ontario leaves the Liberals to sit as an independent. On June 6, 2007 Peterson joins the Progressive ConservativesProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioThe Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
. - April 17, 2007 - Joan MacAlpine-StilesJoan MacAlpine-StilesL. Joan MacAlpine-Stiles is a politician in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. She served as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Moncton West from 1999 until 2010...
and Wally StilesWally StilesR. Wallis "Wally" Stiles, is a New Brunswick politician. He represented the electoral district of Petitcodiac in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1999–2010...
, spouses and MLAs in the New Brunswick legislature, leave the Progressive Conservative Party of New BrunswickProgressive Conservative Party of New BrunswickThe Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick is a centre-right political party in New Brunswick, Canada. It has its origins in the pre-Canadian confederation Conservative Party that opposed the granting of responsible government to the colony...
and join the governing New Brunswick Liberal AssociationNew Brunswick Liberal AssociationThe New Brunswick Liberal Association , more popularly known as the New Brunswick Liberal Party or Liberal Party of New Brunswick, is one of the two major political parties in the Canadian province of New Brunswick...
. - August 30, 2008 - Blair WilsonBlair WilsonBlair Wilson was the Canadian Member of Parliament in the 39th Canadian parliament for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country electoral district. He was elected on January 23, 2006 in the 2006 federal election as the Liberal candidate...
, independent MP who resigned from the Liberal caucus due to allegations of financial impropriety, joins the Green Party of CanadaGreen Party of CanadaThe Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
becoming its first ever Member of Parliament. - October 23, 2008 - André RiedlAndré RiedlAndré Riedl is a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was a Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Iberville from 2007 to 2008....
and Pierre-Michel AugerPierre-Michel AugerPierre-Michel Auger is a Canadian politician, who was a Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Champlain from 2007 to 2008....
, Quebec MNA, cross the floor from the ADQAction démocratique du QuébecThe Action démocratique du Québec, commonly referred to as the ADQ is a centre-right political party in Quebec, Canada. On the sovereignty question, it defines itself as autonomist, and has support from both soft nationalists and federalists....
to the governing Liberals. - November 6, 2009 - Quebec MNAs Éric CaireÉric CaireÉric Caire is a politician from Quebec, Canada, and the independent Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of La Peltrie....
and Marc PicardMarc PicardMarc Picard is a politician in the province of Quebec, Canada. He currently represents the Chutes-de-la-Chaudière district at the National Assembly of Quebec as an independent....
leave the ADQAction démocratique du QuébecThe Action démocratique du Québec, commonly referred to as the ADQ is a centre-right political party in Quebec, Canada. On the sovereignty question, it defines itself as autonomist, and has support from both soft nationalists and federalists....
to sit as independents.
2010s
- June 11, 2010 - British Columbia MLA Blair LekstromBlair LekstromBlair Lekstrom is a Canadian politician, currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. He has represented the riding of Peace River South since the 2001 election....
leaves the BC Liberal Party to sit as an independent, in opposition to the party's handling of the Harmonized Sales TaxHarmonized Sales TaxThe Harmonized Sales Tax is the name used in Canada to describe the combination of the federal Goods and Services Tax and the regional Provincial Sales Tax into a single value added sales tax in five of the ten Canadian provinces: Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, British...
. He rejoins the party in early 2011, after the election of Christy ClarkChristy ClarkChristina Joan "Christy" Clark, MLA is a Canadian politician, the 35th and current Premier of British Columbia, Canada...
in the party's 2011 leadership electionBritish Columbia Liberal Party leadership election, 2011The British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election of 2011 was prompted by Gordon Campbell's announcement on November 3, 2010 that he would be resigning as Premier of British Columbia and had asked the BC Liberal Party to hold a leadership convention "at the earliest possible date." The...
. - June 6, 2011 - Quebec MNAs Louise BeaudoinLouise BeaudoinLouise Beaudoin is a Canadian politician, who represents the electoral district of Rosemont in the National Assembly of Quebec, initially as a member of the Parti Québécois , and since June 6, 2011, as an independent...
, Pierre CurziPierre CurziPierre Curzi is an actor, screenwriter and politician in Quebec, Canada. He is the Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Borduas in the Montérégie region south of Montreal...
and Lisette LapointeLisette LapointeLisette Lapointe is a Quebec politician, journalist and teacher, currently sitting as an independent. She is the wife of Jacques Parizeau, former Premier of Quebec, Canada...
leave the Parti QuébécoisParti QuébécoisThe Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
to sit as independents, citing dissatisfaction with the leadership of Pauline MaroisPauline MaroisPauline Marois is the current leader of the Parti Québécois in the province of Quebec, since June 27, 2007 and current Leader of the Official Opposition of the National Assembly of Quebec, representing the riding of Charlevoix...
. They are followed on June 7 by Jean-Martin AussantJean-Martin AussantJean-Martin Aussant is a politician in the Canadian province of Quebec. He has represented Nicolet-Yamaska in the National Assembly of Quebec since 2008, first as a member of the Parti Québécois and currently as leader of his own party, Option nationale....
.
Other changes
The following list contains items that, while not generally considered crossing the floor, may be similar in nature.- In 1979, Pauline JewettPauline JewettPauline Jewett, was a Canadian Member of Parliament.Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, she received a BA and a MA from Queen's University and a Ph.D in political science from Harvard University in 1949...
, who had been a Liberal MP from 1963 to 1965, returns to Parliament as a New Democrat. - February 2, 2004 - André BachandAndré Bachand (Progressive Conservative MP)André Bachand is a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Richmond—Arthabaska as member of the Progressive Conservatives from 1997 to 2003....
, Joe ClarkJoe ClarkCharles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
, and John HerronJohn Herron (New Brunswick politician)John Herron is a former Canadian politician and Red Tory.Herron was first elected to the House of Commons in the 1997 federal election as a candidate of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada . He was reelected in the 2000 election...
remain Progressive Conservative MPs (and are officially designated as Independent Progressive Conservatives) when the Progressive Conservative Party merges with the Canadian Alliance to form the Conservative Party of Canada. Herron runs as a Liberal candidate in the 2004 election but is unsuccessful. - In 2004, former NDP MP Chris AxworthyChris AxworthyChristopher S. Axworthy is a Canadian politician.After teaching law at the University of New Brunswick and Dalhousie Law School, Chris Axworthy came to Saskatoon in 1984 as the founding Executive Director of the and as a Professor of Law at the University of Saskatchewan...
, who had resigned from Parliament in 1999, attempts to return to the House of Commons as a Liberal but is unsuccessful. He suffers a second defeat in 2006. - Former British Columbia NDP Premier Ujjal DosanjhUjjal DosanjhUjjal Dev Singh Dosanjh, PC, QC, is a Sikh Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as 33rd Premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 including a stint as Minister of Health from 2004 until 2006 when the party lost...
was elected as a Liberal MP in the 2004 federal election. - Former Ontario NDP Premier and MP Bob RaeBob RaeRobert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
announced his candidacy for the leadership of the federal LiberalsLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in 2006, and was re-elected to Parliament as a Liberal in 2008. - Françoise BoivinFrançoise BoivinFrançoise Boivin is a Canadian politician, who represents the electoral district of Gatineau in the Canadian House of Commons....
, a former Liberal MP who was defeated in the 2006 electionCanadian federal election, 2006The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
, left the Liberal Party in 2008 and ran as a candidate for the New Democratic PartyNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
in the 2008 electionCanadian federal election, 2008The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
. She was subsequently elected as a New Democrat in 2011.