After several opposition MPs crossed the floor to join the governing Liberals in recent months, some of those MPs’ constituents are now expressing distrust in the country’s democratic system.
Toronto-area MP Michael Ma’s office has been the site of regular protests following his decision to leave the Conservatives to join the Liberals in December 2025. Most recently, after Ontario MP Marilyn Gladu crossed the floor on April 8, protesters gathered at her office shortly afterward with signs reading, “I voted Conservative, not Liberal,” and “Your vote doesn’t matter.”
Some political commentators say the recent floor-crossings could reduce trust in Canadian democracy, especially in the specific ridings of MPs who switched parties. This would be especially so in ridings where the MP who is defecting got more than 50 percent of the vote, as is the case in Gladu’s Ontario riding of Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, says Lydia Miljan, a professor of political science at the University of Windsor….