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Livres, articles académiques, sources primaires et journalisme sur la traversée du parquet en politique canadienne.
C.E.S. Franks
The foundational text on Canadian parliamentary procedure, including the conventions around party discipline, caucus loyalty, and the absence of legal constraints on floor crossing.
David C. Docherty
An inside look at the lives of Canadian MPs, exploring party discipline, backbench frustrations, and the institutional pressures that drive some members to cross the floor.
Andrew Heard
A thorough analysis of the unwritten conventions that govern Canadian politics, including the constitutional silence on party switching and the conventions around confidence votes.
Donald J. Savoie
How prime ministerial power and centralized party control create the conditions that make floor crossing both attractive (for those offered cabinet posts) and career-ending (for those who rebel).
Michael M. Atkinson et al.
Examines the partisan machinery behind Canadian politics, providing context for the backroom negotiations that often precede a floor crossing.
Christopher Kam
A comparative study of party discipline across Westminster parliaments. Explores why Canadian MPs face stricter discipline than their British or Australian counterparts, and how this affects defection incentives.
Don Desserud
A direct examination of the Belinda Stronach and David Emerson crossings and the failed Bill C-251 (the "floor crossing bill") that sought to require by-elections when MPs switch parties.
Jonathan Malloy
Analyses the dominance of the executive over Parliament, including the appointment power and caucus discipline that shape a backbencher’s options. Read it for the institutional argument; it makes no claim about any particular crossing in this record.
The official verbatim record of debates in the Canadian House of Commons. Every floor crossing announcement, point of order, and debate is recorded here. Searchable from 1994 to present.
Biographical database of all Canadian parliamentarians since Confederation. Essential for verifying party affiliations, dates of service, and cross-referencing crossing records.
Official election results at the riding level. The source against which a recorded election outcome on this site can be checked — and the source that would have to be worked through to fill the outcome field on the many records where it is not recorded at all.
The official newspaper of the Government of Canada. Cabinet appointments, Senate appointments and Orders in Council are published here, which makes it the primary source for establishing that an appointment happened and on what date. Whether an appointment is connected to a change of affiliation is a separate question that a date alone does not answer.
Archival video and audio coverage of major floor crossings, including Belinda Stronach (2005), Lucien Bouchard (1990), and David Emerson (2006). First-hand reactions and press conferences.
Canada's newspaper of record, with extensive archives covering every major federal floor crossing since Confederation. Subscription required for historical archives.
Coverage of Quebec-related floor crossings in French, including Lucien Bouchard, Richard Holden, Maria Mourani, and the Bloc Québécois defections. Essential for the francophone perspective.