Bait-and-switch an affront to democracy
Re: “Let’s tighten the rules on floor-crossers” (Raphaël Melançon, Dec. 16)
Bait-and-switch is an old, deceptive and unscrupulous method of getting consumers interested in a product and then advising them that what they wanted (the bait) is no longer available, but a similar higher-priced item (the switch) can be purchased.
Bait-and-switch is illegal in Canada under the federal Competition Act.
However, when a member of Parliament crosses the floor to join another party, it is simply bait-and-switch under a different guise. For the two Conservative MPs who recently crossed the floor to sit as Liberals, the honourable thing to do would have been to sit as independents or resign from Parliament.
By crossing the floor, Michael Ma and Chris d’Entremont have deceived voters in their ridings in an affront to the democratic will of the people.
Allen Rubin, Westmount
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