Individual political candidates motivate only 6% of voters, meaning floor-crossing MPs should face by-elections for democratic legitimacy

VANCOUVER, BC, May 20, 2026 /CNW/ - In order to restore democratic legitimacy after crossing the floor, MPs should face by-elections since individual candidates only motivate 6 per cent of voters in terms of how they vote, finds a new essay released by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

"Politicians mistakenly credit their merit alone for their electoral victories, but that's a self-serving myth. Most voters choose the party, leader, or broader issues, rather than the personal qualities of the individual candidate on the ballot," said Nathan Cullen, former NDP member of both the federal and B.C. provincial parliaments, and the author of Why Floor Crossing Reveals the Character Flaws of Our Politics and Makes Us All a Little More Cynical.

According to the essay--part of a series on non-constitutional reforms that could improve Canada's democracy--when MPs cross the floor, leaving the party they were elected under, it stems from a personal decision on the part of the candidate, not genuine voter representation, jeopardizing public trust.

Critically, by changing parties without voter consent, MPs break the implicit agreement with voters. Recent polling indicates that only 6 per cent of voters are motivated by individual candidates compared to 39 per cent who are motivated by the party leader, 24 per cent by the party, and 15 per cent by policies.

In fact, a larger portion of voters (13 per cent) would sooner strategically vote than decide based on an individual candidate. 

A solution to this would be parliamentarians who leave their party should either sit as independents until the next election or trigger a by-election. This would restore both voter authority and democratic legitimacy.

Canadian polling even shows strong support for restricting or penalizing floor crossing like New Zealand's "waka (canoe) jumping" rules.

"Elected officials must remember that their duty is to serve the communities which elected them, not their own personal ambition," said Cullen.

"Anything else is self-delusion and not only poor judgement but erodes public trust. Reaffirming mandates when changing parties would help restore trust in an era of deepening political cynicism."

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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org

SOURCE The Fraser Institute

MEDIA CONTACT: Nathan Cullen; To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute, [phone] Ext. 721, [email protected]