This week, one MP crossed the floor to the Liberals but another, rumoured crossing seemingly fell apart. How do these things work? In this excerpt from “No I in Team: Party Loyalty in Canadian Politics,” the authors draw on past published accounts and their own sometimes-anonymous interviews to create a full picture of the negotiations, temptations and pitfalls.

Politicians and senior staff who catch wind of rumours of someone potentially being persuaded to join their cause deliberate whether to initiate contact. Strategic conversations unfold about how to capitalize , as a former minister told us: “Who should reach out? What should we say? ... Those are the types of conversations. When the House is sitting, you make observations about a pissing match between people. Maybe there’s a wedge

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