MP ethics code requires honesty, upholding highest standards to enhance public confidence and trust in integrity

Running and supporting one party and then switching six months after an election to another party is dishonest and undermines public trust

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, November 14, 2025

OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch released the letter it has sent to federal Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein calling on him to rule on the floor-crossing by MP Chris d’Entremont.  Democracy Watch raises serious questions in its letter concerning the floor-crossing being a violation of the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons (MP Code), which requires MPs to fulfill their public duties with honesty and uphold the highest standards so as to maintain and enhance the public’s trust and confidence in their integrity (ss. 2(b)).

Incredibly, MPs from all parties have chosen to prohibit members of the public, who employ and pay all MPs and the Ethics Commissioner, and in whose interests they all are supposed to be serving, from filing requests under section 27 of the MP Code for an inquiry concerning whether an MP has violated any provision of the MP Code that would result in a public ruling by the Ethics Commissioner under section 28 of the MP Code.

As a result, the letter requests that the Ethics Commissioner make a public statement concerning the scope and requirements of section 2 of the MP Code generally, and subsection 2(b) specifically, and how the provisions in section 2 apply to floor-crossings in general, and MP d’Entremont’s floor-crossing specifically.  If an MP files a similar complaint, then the Ethics Commissioner will be required to issue a ruling.

As the letter sets out, MP d’Entremont:

1. Ran as a Conservative candidate in the 2025 federal election (and the previous two elections);

2. Took his oath of office in May as a Conservative MP;

3. Stated in the House of Commons in June that it was “an incredible honour” to be elected again as a Conservative MP and thanked voters in his electoral district in Nova Scotia for “placing their trust” in him to represent them again;

4. Voted with the Conservative Party caucus on all votes since then, and;

5. Stated on September 25, 2025 in the House that the Liberal government’s record was mismanagement, out-of-control spending, massive deficits, irresponsible, “a monstrous, irresponsible burden on future generations… that causes inflation and extra costs to future generations”, unacceptable and inhumane, and “absolutely the opposite” of what is needed to “to ease the burden that Nova Scotians and Canadians are seeing at the grocery store.”

As the letter also sets out, concerning his floor-crossing, MP d’Entremont:

1. According to media reports, switched from the Conservative Party caucus to the Liberal Party caucus before the Liberal government’s budget was made public, but then initially claimed that he switched because of the budget;

2. Then the next day offered another reason for why he switched;

3. Then five days later offered another reason for why he switched, which he then corrected because he had misled a media outlet when explaining that reason.

These amount to a series of dishonest actions that undermine instead of enhance public trust, and the letter also sets out media coverage showing that many voters in MP d’Entremont’s district are angry about his floor-crossing.

The dishonesty at the core of the floor-crossing by MP d’Entremont and other MPs in the past is part of the reason that several surveys show that a large majority of Canadian voters do not trust politicians, including a national survey of 1,515 adult Canadians conducted from January 9 to 18, 2025 that found only 17% of Canadians trust politicians in general, and a national survey of 1,502 adult Canadians conducted between January 5-12, 2023 that found only 22% of Canadians trust politicians in general.

Several studies over the past 20 years have shown that only five to 15 percent of voters cast their ballot based on the identity of the local candidate, while the rest vote based on the party or party leader.  An MP deciding on their own two switch parties, without any meaningful, comprehensive, demographically representative consultation with voters in their district (talking to a few constituents as MP d’Entremont did is far from adequate), is similar to a dictator making a decision that they claim is in the public’s interest.

DWatch has filed ethics complaints about past floor-crossers, including Belinda Stronach, David Emerson among others (Click here to see details (the link is to DWatch’s archive website)).

“Floor-crossing is a fundamental violation of the right of voters to make an informed choice when voting, and the dishonesty and lack of integrity that is at the core of floor-crossing is a clear violation of the code of conduct for MPs,” said Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch.  “The question is, will the Ethics Commissioner do anything about it, or will he roll over like a lapdog as he has in so many other situations since the Trudeau Cabinet chose him.”

Click here to see the 8 ethics complaints, mainly re: Trudeau Liberal Cabinet ministers, that Ethics Commissioner von Finckenstein buried during his first six months in office.

Democracy Watch also called on all parties to change section 27 of the MP Code to give members of the public the right to file complaints with the Ethics Commissioner concerning whether an MP has violated any provision of the MP Code that will result in a public ruling by the Ethics Commissioner issued under section 28 of the MP Code, and to change sections 44 and 45 of the Conflict of Interest Act also to give the public the same right concerning whether a Cabinet minister, ministerial staff and top government officials covered by the Act has violated the Act that will result in a public ruling by the Ethics Commissioner.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch
Tel: (613) 241-5179
Cell: 416-546-3443
Email: [email protected]

Democracy Watch’s Honesty in Politics Campaign and Government Ethics Campaign