Alleslev should resign, not cross floor
Re Liberal MP crosses floor to join Tories as Parliament resumes, Sept. 18 So Leona Alleslev becomes the second member of Parliament representing Aurora to cross over to the other side in the last 13 years (Belinda Stronach went from Conservative to Liberal in 2005).
I attended the Liberal nomination meeting prior to the last election, and voted for Leona to represent the Liberal party in the upcoming election. Based on her official communications to our local community, she definitely did not consult with her constituents in making this decision as she stated in her press conference on Monday. Also, I am sure she did not consult with grassroots Conservative members to see if they would choose her to represent their party now.
After these two local floor crossings, I really think that an MP should resign and trigger a by-election if they decide that they will no longer be representing the community that voted for them and their party. Bob Ferguson, Aurora In July I was asked to sign Leona Alleslev’s Liberal nomination papers for the 2019 election, which I gladly did based on her former service to Canada as a professional, and her last three years as my MP.
Nothing could have surprised me more than the news she crossed the floor to the Conservatives. At a July fundraiser, Alleslev praised her guest Justin Trudeau as one who “set the example for what our NATO allies and what other countries can become.” This is in stark contradiction with her stated reason for defection: her desire to “challenge” Trudeau’s government!
Defection to an opposing party is not illegal, but to many is immoral and unprofessional. She was elected with the help of the Liberal brand, volunteers, funds and votes. A more honourable decision for her would have been to resign. Mashoud Nasseri, Richmond Hill In general, I’m against any politician crossing the floor, regardless of who goes to whom.
One can only guess the true motive for Alleslev to switch sides. It could be that she believes the CPC will win the next federal election.
Or it could be that her beliefs do not coincide with the Liberal party’s philosophy. In the latter case, I may even agree with her crossing the floor for a higher ideal. Caspar Pfenninger, Calgary