Wild Rose MP wants public's opinion on proposed legislation

Jan 11, 2012 05:53 pm | Trevor Bacque

Floor crossing will not be a simple process anymore if a new private member�s bill goes through and Wild Rose MP Blake Richards is seeking public input on the legislation.

Bill C-306, put forward by Pontiac NDP MP Mathieu Ravignat, would require sitting members who switch their political allegiance to run for their seat in a byelection.

The idea has merit, according to Richards, but he wants to hear from the people who voted for him.

�The principle is something I have some sympathy for,� said Richards. �I�ve personally felt that if a person makes a major change, where they represent (constituents), it should be something that should be put before the people,� he said.

The bill has a long way to go as it�s only at second reading, but it could become law by spring with enough support.

Richards understands why people cross the floor and said it�s unfair to force people to stay in parties they no longer support.

�The last thing you want to do is tie them to further party discipline,� he said. �It�s important for someone to be able to make that decision for their constituents.�

However, the bill won�t find its way into law, according to one political scientist.

�Private member�s bills rarely go through,� said Duane Bratt of Mount Royal University.

�They�re largely aimed at the predilections of the individual putting it forward or trying to appeal to his or her constituency.�

Bratt said there are also holes in the bill that don�t address all situations such as a person who sits independently or is expelled from a caucus.

�I don�t think it�s going anywhere,� he said.

�Unless it has government backing, it rarely goes through.�

There is also a cost associated with a byelection, at least several hundred thousand according to Bratt, and Richards is unsure if voters would want to foot that bill each time an MP has a political change of heart.

�Cost is certainly one of the factors in this,� said Richards.

On Jan. 10, NDP MP Lise St-Denis of Saint-Maurice�Champlain crossed the floor unimpeded to the Liberal party.

To view the bill, visit www.parl.gc.ca