David-Arthur Lafortune

David-Arthur Lafortune, a Quebec Liberal MP, broke from the Liberal caucus to sit as an Independent Liberal around 1909, reflecting internal tensions within the Quebec Liberal caucus over federal-provincial relations and patronage disputes under Wilfrid Laurier's lengthy tenure. The "Independent Liberal" designation was common in this era for MPs who agreed with Liberal principles but disagreed with the leadership on specific issues.

Lafortune eventually returned to the Liberal fold. His brief stint as an Independent Liberal was typical of the fluid party loyalties of the Laurier era, when Quebec MPs occasionally asserted independence on specific issues before returning to the party.