Canadians have never before seen a minority government become a majority government through a combination of floor crossing and byelections.

A small increase in the number of Liberal caucus members has given the government sweeping power, all without voters having a say in a general election.

Current conversations about the appropriateness of floor crossings are an opportunity for a broader discussion about electoral reform. If Canada used some form of proportional representation where the percentage of votes for each party reflected their percentage of seats in the House of Commons, floor crossings would be unnecessary.

Official opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, has argued that floor crossing amounts to winning majority status through “dirty backroom deals.”

He advocates for recall, or the ability of constituents to sign a petition to force a byelection, “to put people back in charge of our democracy” — even though the Conservative party itself argued against such measures in 2011.

NDP leader Avi Lewis has also argued that getting a Liberal majority largely through floor crossings “just feels wrong.”

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Canadians seem to agree; just one in four surveyed in a recent public opinion poll said floor crossers should be able to complete their term with their new party.

But achieving a majority through a general election — or via byelections in the electoral districts of floor........

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