Floor crossing
Nobody likes floor crossers, except when they join you. But recently, I think everyone is getting a little bored about it. Whether we allow it or not, I think the key going forward is that we need to have some multi-partisan talks about policies going forward. We should sit down and figure out some good rules to stand by, be it a by-election, sitting as an independent until the next election, or whatever we decide, I think it will help stop a lot of bickering if we at least settle on some basic rules.
As for today's news, as egotistical as Garth is, I'll trade Khan for Garth any day.
2 comments:
Since it is part of the Westminster system, I don't think it is realistic to change it. A better policy is to loosen party discipline and let MPs on all issues except votes of confidence vote their conscience or how their constituents want. This is done in Britain which uses the same system as us and party switching is far less rampant there.
One policy I would support is all parties agreeing that anyone who crosses the floor will not go straight into cabinet. This would at least ensure the floor crossing is genuine, not out of opportunism.
I'll just add an update in the comments here:
Now, a few people have mentioned about resigning. It's a tough call whether to force everyone to resign, or what exactly we should do with that. I think that the proper thing to do would be to require them to run under the new party within one year of switching. So since we haven't had an election in the last year, Emerson should resign and run conservative now. If we don't have an election before next February, then Garth should resign and run then. In that way, we could avoid most spurious by-elections, while still not banning the process outright.
And then with that, I'd go with Miles' suggestion that we not allow them into cabinet until they have been elected under that party banner.
And as much as I would like to make more stuff non-partisan, I think we're devolving into a more polarized system. It's too heated to possibly think that people won't vote on partisan lines.
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