Ottawa Has Changed – Here Is What You Need to Know

By now, as you may have heard, the political landscape in Ottawa has changed. Following recent by-elections in Ontario and Quebec—combined with “floor crossings,” where MPs from the opposition joined the governing party— Prime Minister Carney now leads a slim majority government. I use the term “slim” because the government now holds 174 seats in the House of Commons. Since 172 seats are commonly cited as the minimum needed for a majority, they are just barely over the line.
 
To put it plainly, I have received a lot of feedback from people in our community on this issue. Much of that feedback has been negative. Many people do not view floor crossing in a positive way. The question I am asked most often is: “How can this be legal?” or “Is this allowed?”
 
The short answer is that, under our Westminster parliamentary system, an elected Member of Parliament is free to join another party or to sit as an independent. Floor crossings are not common, but they have happened many times in the history of our Parliament. Even so, it is very unusual for floor crossings to change who is in control of the House of Commons, as has happened here.
 
As I am often asked for my thoughts on this, I will state for the record that I do not personally agree with crossing the floor. I believe it is a betrayal of the citizens who voted for a candidate in good faith. I entered public service because I believe in our democratic system. I want to build faith in our public institutions. Too many citizens already feel that their vote does not count. When elected officials seem happy to do what they want, whenever they want, without listening or being accountable to the public, it makes people feel ignored. It undermines the trust that holds our country together.
 
Having said that, I do support our Westminster style of government. This includes the right of elected members to cross the floor or sit as independents as part of our parliamentary tradition. However, we must find a way to balance that right with accountability to voters.
 
Recently, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre suggested that, under certain circumstances—such as a floor-crossing decision—citizens should have the right to petition for the recall of their Member of Parliament. This is a concept that I believe should be explored. It would force floor crossers to think hard about their reasons and to explain those reasons to the people they represent. If their constituents were truly fine with the decision, there would be no serious effort to remove them. This would help ensure that voters always have the final say.
 
I will also add that while I may not agree with the decisions made by those who crossed the floor—and while I have serious concerns over a government that gets a majority through backroom deals instead of at the ballot box—I respect that this is how our system currently works. As a backbench representative, I will continue to work respectfully and constructively with the now-majority government to get results for our region.
 
On a separate but important note, we had some news this week that I view as positive. In a motion, the Official Opposition called on the government to help with the high cost of fuel. We asked the government to suspend the federal fuel excise tax; suspend the GST on gas and diesel; permanently eliminate the costs associated with the Clean Fuel Regulations; and permanently eliminate the industrial carbon pricing charge to reduce cost pressures through the supply chain.
 
The Official Opposition estimates that, taken together, these measures could reduce fuel costs by about 25 cents per litre, depending on fuel prices and region. Unfortunately, the government is willing to do only one of these: a temporary cut to the excise tax. Instead of saving 25 cents, this will only save you about 4 cents per litre on diesel and 10 cents on gasoline. This is disappointing, especially because higher fuel prices can also increase GST revenues.

My question this week is: Did the government go far enough in providing tax relief at the pumps?

Your feedback helps me do my job. You are welcome to share your thoughts on my Facebook page or contact me at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or toll-free at 1‑800‑665‑8711.