Liberal switches to Independent

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Ontario MP Pat O'brien switched to Independent due to his opposition of same-sex marriage.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/06/06/obrien050606.html

[Alcon]

First he stops hosting Entertainment Tonight, and now he switches parties.

In all seriousness, this is disappointing and all, but is he really just leaving because of one issue? That's a tad picky.

[Storebought]

What power is there in running, and possibly winning, as an Independent in a parliamentary system? It won't do Galloway any good (thank God) in the UK; it won't do O'Brian any good in Canada.

[Gabu]

What power is there in running, and possibly winning, as an Independent in a parliamentary system? It won't do Galloway any good (thank God) in the UK; it won't do O'Brian any good in Canada.

Chuck Cadman, an independent from BC, basically was the guy to decide the fate of the entire Canadian government when the budget went up for the vote a while ago.  That seems pretty powerful to me.

[bullmoose88]

Any chance the Tories and Bloc will mount another no confidence campaign due to this switch? (and will they try and get him in the party?)

[Beet]

Yeah it looks like the Liberals/NDP have again lost their majority.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Not suprising at all; this had looked likely (to me anyways) for a long time.

[Platypus]

Canadian politics is certainly miore interesting now then this time 2 year ago, eh?

In Australia, with an elected senate, minor parties and independents have power, but they usually have very very little in the lower house, although after the 1999 VIC state election a group of three independents got rid of the Kennett government, which was considered a shoe in before the election...basically, the exceptions prove the rule though (that they are basically powerless).

[Hatman 🍁]

The independents are the most powerful members of parliament right now.