致加拿大国会的公开信

关于国会议员倒戈行为及选举制度漏洞的严正关切

尊敬的加拿大国会议员们：

我们是一群关心加拿大民主制度与公共诚信的选民，其中包括大量长期积极参与公共事务的华人社区成员。近期发生的马姓国会议员在当选仅八个月后突然倒戈的事件，在社会上引发了广泛而强烈的反弹，实质性地损害了选民对加拿大民主选举制度的信任。事实表明，此次事件的影响绝非局限于某一选区，它更揭示了加拿大国会制度中长期积累的结构性制度缺陷，且正在对公民在政治体系中的参与权、发声权与代表权造成广泛冲击。

我们必须郑重指出：

“倒戈”并非单纯的国会议员的个人政治选择，更是一项具有明确代表性和重大公共影响的行为。民选国会议员的授权来自于选民，选民是基于候选人所代表的政党立场、政策纲领与公开承诺，以及整体政策方向投票支持，而非授权其在当选后随意推翻这些前提、重新定义选票的含义和选举结果。

因此，国会议员任何政治立场或党籍的重大转变，都不应由个人利益或个别偏好所主导。此类行径实质上改变了选举结果，构成对选民授权的违背。当议员可以在无需承担任何政治或制度性后果的情况下“变节”，受损的不仅是某一个选区的代表关系，更是整个议会民主制度的正当性与公众信任。

更重要的是，民意已经以清晰而不可忽视的方式表达立场。要求该议员辞职的网络请愿，在短短28小时之内即突破37,000人签名。这绝非一时的情绪宣泄，而是选民对政治诚信被践踏的集体回应。 

作为加拿大历史上首位发生此类事件的华人国会议员，其行为还对华人参政、从政群体造成了额外且不应承受的连带影响。长期以来，华人社区努力以守法、尽责、尊重民主规则的方式参与加拿大公共生活，而此次事件却客观上削弱了了这一长期努力所积累的公众信任。

我们坚信：

捍卫选民授权、修补制度漏洞，正是对加拿大民主最真诚、最负责任的守护。

基于此，我们郑重呼吁国会正视此次事件所暴露的问题，并尽快推动必要且切实的制度改革。

选民对选举法与议会规则的修法诉求清单

一、国会议员变更党籍的民主再授权机制

凡国会议员在当选后、任期内变更党籍、加入执政党或改变对政府信任投票立场的议员，均应触发民主再授权程序，包括但不限于以下两种方式之一：

● 自动辞去议席并举行补选；或

● 法定期限内于原选区举行公投或确认性投票，由选民决定其是否应继续担任议员。

二、提高政治透明度与问责要求

凡发生党籍变更的国会议员，应承担相应的透明度与问责义务，包括但不限于：

● 提交书面公开说明，详细阐述变更原因与依据；

● 接受原选区内公开问答、说明会或听证程序，直接回应选民关切；

● 明确披露是否涉及任何政治交易、职位承诺或其他形式的对价安排，以确保公众知情权与制度公信力。

三、区分独立履职与改变议会权力格局的党籍变更

法律与议会规则应明确区分以下两类情形：

● 国会议员转为独立议员身份继续履职；以及

● 国会议员加入另一政党，尤其是执政党，从而对议会权力结构产生实质性影响的行为。

四、强化竞选承诺与选民授权的法律地位

应当探讨将候选人在竞选时明确宣示的政党身份与核心政策立场，视为选民授权的重要组成部分，并在选举法与议会规则中赋予其相应的制度地位。

五、防止通过“挖角”行为操纵议会多数

应全面检讨现行制度是否纵容通过“挖角”国会议员的方式改变政府组成或操纵议会多数，并据此设立明确、可执行的防范条款，以维护议会民主的基本诚信。

结语

如果选举结果可以在投票日之后被轻易改写，而选民却没有任何形式的再授权或确认机制，那么受损的将不只是某一次选举的公正性，而是加拿大民主制度赖以维系的根基。我们期待国会正视这37,000个签名所代表的真实而明确的民意诉求，并以审慎而负责任的立法行动，堵住制度漏洞，重建公众对民主程序的信任。

此致,

关注加拿大民主前途与公共诚信的选民 

Open Letter to the Parliament of Canada

Serious Concerns Regarding Floor-Crossing by Members of Parliament and Gaps in the Electoral System

Honourable Members of the Parliament,

We are Canadian voters who care deeply about Canada’s democratic system and public integrity, including many members of the Chinese-Canadian community who have long been actively engaged in civic affairs. Recently, the incident in which MP Michael Ma abruptly changed party affiliation only eight months after being elected has triggered widespread public backlash, and has caused a substantive shock to voters’ trust in Canada’s democratic process. The facts make clear that this incident extends far beyond a single riding and lays bare long-standing structural deficiencies within Canada’s parliamentary system that are undermining citizens’ rights to political participation, expression, and representation on a nationwide scale.

We must clearly and unequivocally state:

Floor-crossing is not merely a personal political choice of an individual Member of Parliament. It is an action with clear representative significance and profound public consequences. The mandate of an elected MP derives from voters, who cast their ballots based on the party affiliation, policy platforms, and public commitments represented by the candidate, as well as an overall policy direction—not to authorize a candidate to arbitrarily overturn these premises after being elected and redefine the meaning of their votes or the election outcome. 

Accordingly, any shift in an MP’s political position or party affiliation should not be driven by personal interest or individual preference. Such actions substantively alter the election result and constitute a breach of the voters’ mandate. When MPs are able to “defect” without bearing any political or institutional consequences, the harm extends beyond the representative relationship in a single riding to the legitimacy of the entire parliamentary democratic system and public trust in it.

Public sentiment has already spoken—clearly and forcefully.

An online petition calling for this MP’s resignation surpassed 37,000 signatures within just 28 hours. This is not a momentary emotional outburst, but a collective response by voters to the erosion of political integrity.

As the first Chinese-Canadian MP in Canada’s history to be involved in such a conduct, his action has also imposed additional and unjust collateral damage on the broader image of Chinese-Canadian political participation. For decades, the Chinese-Canadian community has been working to contribute to Canadian democracy with responsibility, transparency, and respect for democratic norms. This event has objectively undermined that hard-earned trust.

We firmly believe that:

Protecting the sanctity of the vote and repairing institutional loopholes is not a threat to democracy—it is an act of democratic preservation.

We therefore urge Parliament to take this matter seriously and to pursue meaningful reform.

Voters’ Demands for Amendments to the Elections Act and Parliamentary Rules

I. Democratic Re-Authorization Mechanism for MPs Who Change Party Affiliation

Any Member of Parliament who, after being elected and during their term of office, changes party affiliation, joins the governing party, or alters their position on confidence votes should trigger a democratic re-authorization process, to be effected through one of the following mechanisms: 

● Automatic resignation of the seat and the holding of a by-election; or

● A constituency referendum or confirmatory vote held within a statutory timeframe, allowing voters to decide whether the MP should continue to serve.

II. Enhancing Political Transparency and Accountability

Any Member of Parliament who changes party affiliation should be subject to enhanced transparency and accountability requirements, including but not limited to the following obligations:

● Submission of a written, publicly accessible statement outlining the reasons and justification for the change;

● Participation in public question-and-answer sessions, briefings, or hearings within the original riding, in order to directly address constituents’ concerns;

● Full disclosure of any political arrangements, position promises, or other forms of consideration, so as to protect the public’s right to know and maintain institutional credibility.

III. Distinguishing Continued Independent Status from Party Switching That Alters

Parliamentary Power

Legislation and parliamentary rules should clearly differentiate between the following circumstances :

● an MP continuing to serve as an independent; and

● an MP joining another political party—particularly the governing party—thereby materially affecting the balance of power in Parliament.

IV. Strengthening the Legal Status of Campaign Commitments and the Voters’ Mandate

Consideration should be given to recognizing a candidate’s clearly articulated party affiliation and core policy commitments during the campaign as integral elements of the voters’ mandate, and to according them appropriate legal standing within the Elections Act and parliamentary rules. 

V. Preventing the Manipulation of Parliamentary Majorities through “Poaching”

A comprehensive review should be conducted to assess whether the current framework permits the composition of government or parliamentary majorities to be altered through the inducement or “poaching” of Members of Parliament. Clear and enforceable safeguards should be established to prevent such practices and to uphold the fundamental integrity of parliamentary democracy.

Conclusion

If election results can be altered after polling day without any requirement for voter re-authorization or confirmation, the harm extends beyond the integrity of a single contest to the very foundations of Canadian democracy. We therefore urge Parliament to acknowledge the clear and authentic public will reflected in these 37,000 signatures and to act with care and responsibility in closing institutional gaps and restoring public confidence in democratic processes.

Respectfully submitted,

Voters Concerned with the Future of Canadian Democracy and Public Integrity.