A brief history of Albertan politicians crossing the floor

Alberta's provincial flag flies on a flagpole in Ottawa, Monday July 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

With Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux to join Mark Carney’s Liberals, CTV News Edmonton takes a look at times Albertan politicians have crossed the floor in recent years.

Nov. 17, 2016

After dropping out of the leadership race for the Progressive Conservatives, Sandra Jansen crossed the floor to join Rachel Notley’s New Democrats in 2016.

Jansen received verbal abuse and harassment following the floor-crossing.

She served as Alberta’s first female infrastructure minister and created Alberta’s first disability advocate.

Dec. 17, 2014

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is no stranger to crossing the floor, having done so on Dec. 17, 2014, in tandem with eight other Wildrose MLAs including Rob Anderson, Gary Bikman, Rod Fox, Jason Hale, Bruce McAllister, Blake Pedersen, Bruce Rowe and Jeff Wilson.

Smith lost her bid for the Progressive Conservative nomination in Highwood to Carrie Fischer. Her defeat was largely attributed to the floor-crossing, which didn’t sit well with those in her riding.

Nov. 24, 2014

Kerry Towle and Ian Donovan, both Wildrose MLAs at the time, crossed the floor of the Alberta Legislature to join the Conservatives on Nov. 24, 2014.

Towle, who represented Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, lost her re-election bid to Wildrose’s Don MacIntyre in 2015.

Donovan also lost to Wildrose member Dave Schneider in Little Bow by just 12 votes.

June 5, 2013

Brent Rathgeber served as a Progressive Conservative MLA for Edmonton Calder from 2001 to 2004 before being elected into the House of Commons in 2008 as a Conservative for St. Albert-Edmonton.

He resigned from caucus in 2013 and sat as an independent until he was defeated in the 2015 election by Conservative Michael Cooper.

The reasoning for leaving, Rathgeber said, was because of Stephen Harper’s office exercising control over backbench MPs.

Nov. 21, 2011

Alberta Liberal Party MLA Bridget Pastoor crossed the floor in 2011, joining the Progressive Conservatives under Alison Redford.

Pastoor had been a Liberal MLA for Lethbridge-East since 2004 before crossing the floor. She was re-elected as a Progressive Conservative in the 2012 provincial election.

Jan. 4, 2010

Rob Anderson and Heather Forsyth left the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta to join the Wildrose Party in 2010.

Forsyth, who represented Calgary-Fish Creek, crossed back to the Conservatives in 2014 before retiring a year later.

Anderson represented the Airdrie constituency as MLA for the Wildrose Party. He is currently the acting executive director Premier Danielle Smith’s office.