moved for leave to introduce Bill C-446, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (members who cross the floor).
Mr. Speaker, three years ago, in Vancouver Kingsway, a member of Parliament was elected as a Liberal and crossed the floor to sit as a Conservative two weeks after that election.
Our citizens were outraged. They regarded this as an act of democratic betrayal. It rendered their votes meaningless. People from every political persuasion joined together to demand the restoration of their democratic rights. People like Mike Watkins, Jurgen Claudepierre and Shannon Steele worked tirelessly for this noble goal.
I am honoured to rise today to introduce a piece of legislation that serves to restore respect for democracy in our country.
This bill would require any member who crosses the floor to resign and run in a byelection. It would put the actions of a floor-crossing member to the test of the will of the voters of his or her constituency, where it properly belongs. In a time when voters are increasingly cynical, I believe this would go some way towards restoring confidence in our political system.
I hope that all members of this House put their partisan interests aside and support this law. It is good for our democracy. It is good for our country.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)