The Green Party of Canada says the latest floor-crossing — which leaves Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals just one seat short of a majority — underscores a long-standing democratic problem: under first-past-the-post, a small change in caucus numbers can hand a government sweeping power that is not matched by majority public support.
Floor-crossings are a normal feature of parliamentary democracies. Canadians may disagree with an MP’s decision, but the deeper issue is structural: first-past-the-post inflates seat totals and can turn a minority Parliament into a near-majority — or a majority — on the strength of a single defection.
“Canadians should never be put in a position where one MP’s change of jersey can determine whether a government gains ‘majority’ control,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada. “Only a party supported by a majority of voters should be able to wield 100% of the power — yet first-past-the-post routinely produces the opposite result.”
The Green Party is calling on Parliament to treat this moment as a wake-up call and to advance democratic reform without delay — including proportional representation, which aligns seats with votes and keeps governing authority anchored in the electorate’s actual choices.
“As Critic for Democratic Reform, I’ve heard the same message from people across the country: they want a system that reflects their votes and their lives,” said Simon Guthrie, Green Party Critic for Democratic Reform. “We can disagree passionately in a democracy — but the rules must be fair, transparent, and built to reflect Canadians’ needs and aspirations, not reward distortions.”
Greens note that the House of Commons already has a clear pathway to move from discussion to action. A new citizen-driven petition, House of Commons Petition e-6993, calls on the House to recognize that extensive electoral reform consultations have already been completed, and to commit to implementing proportional representation before the next federal election.
“While the Prime Minister continues to recruit floor-crossers and Canadians brace for possible by-elections, Parliament has a responsibility to tackle the rules that let power swing without voters having their say,” said Dave Hamelin-Schuilenburg, a Vaudreuil Green and initiator of the petition. “This petition is a practical push to move electoral reform from ‘someday’ to a real, time-bound commitment — before the next election.”
The Green Party of Canada is urging all parties to work together to move democratic reform forward this session, so that future Parliaments reflect how Canadians actually voted — and so that “majority government” genuinely means majority support.
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For media inquiries or to arrange an interview:
media@greenparty.ca