Michael Coyne/The Globe and Mail: It wasn’t always thus. The notion that MPs on the government benches, no less than those in opposition, were supposed to be watchdogs on the government, was once taken seriously in this country – so seriously, that whenever an MP was appointed to cabinet he was obliged to resign his seat and run in a by-election. After all, his job had changed: now he was part of the government. The least he could do was ask his constituents’ permission.
Seems like the least an MP crossing from opposition to government could do…