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In a January 11 interview with the Petrolia Lambton Independent, the Sarnia-Lambton MP said constituents "deserve a chance to have a redo" when their MP switches parties. Three months later, she joined the Liberals — and has not called a byelection.
On January 11, 2026, Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu told a local newspaper she supported a petition calling for automatic byelections when MPs switch parties, saying voters "deserve a chance to have a redo." On April 8, 2026, she crossed the floor to the Liberals herself. Sarnia-Lambton’s mayor and the local Conservative riding association president have publicly called for her to face a byelection. She has not.
On January 11, 2026, the Petrolia Lambton Independent published an interview with Sarnia-Lambton Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu. The subject: a constituent-driven petition calling on Parliament to require automatic byelections when an MP switches parties.
Gladu was on the record in support. The Independent quoted her in full:
"Really, the whole point of being an MP is to represent your constituents. So, if they're voting you in under one platform, for you to switch for whatever reasons, just seems to me to not be representing what you're supposed to be there to represent. We elected you under this banner, and if you don't want to be under that banner, then we deserve a chance to have a redo."
The Sarnia Journal subsequently confirmed the quote and the position.
On April 8, 2026 — 87 days later — Gladu announced she was crossing the floor to join Mark Carney's Liberals. Her stated reason, per CBC: "I've heard clearly from constituents that you want serious leadership and a real plan to build a stronger and more independent Canadian economy."
The contradiction was noted immediately by local outlets. The Sarnia Journal headline read: "Gladu crosses the floor despite prior support for by-elections for party-switching MPs."
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley and the Sarnia-Lambton Conservative riding association president have both publicly called for Gladu to face a byelection in keeping with her own January position. As of publication, Gladu has not committed to one.
Gladu's caucus switch coincided with public reversals on two other long-held positions.
On abortion: Gladu voted in favour of Bill C-233 (the 2021 sex-selective abortion ban) and spoke at the 2017 March for Life on Parliament Hill. After joining the Liberal caucus, she stated: "I will protect the rights and freedoms of women to choose." The Catholic Register and Global News documented the shift.
On vaccine mandates: As a Conservative, Gladu led an internal "mini-caucus" against federal vaccine mandates and was dropped from the Conservative shadow cabinet in 2021 after publicly comparing COVID-19 risk unfavourably to polio — remarks she later apologized for, calling them "misinformation." She now sits in a caucus that has supported mandate-related employment insurance denials.
Marilyn Gladu was first elected as the Conservative MP for Sarnia-Lambton in October 2015. She was re-elected in 2019, 2021, and again in the April 2025 federal election — each time on the Conservative ticket.
A chemical engineer by training (BSc, Queen's University; 21 years at Dow Chemical, then engineering director at Suncor), she became the first female chemical engineer to sit in the House of Commons. She was named Maclean's "Most Collegial Parliamentarian" in 2016.
Her notable legislative work as a Conservative includes Bill C-277 (the 2017 palliative care framework) and Bill C-228 (2023 pension protection). She chaired the Standing Committee on the Status of Women and ran an unsuccessful 2020 Conservative leadership bid that was disqualified for failing to meet the signature and deposit requirements.
The Acadie–Annapolis MP crossed the floor on the morning of the 2025 federal budget, after losing his Deputy Speaker salary top-up. Democracy Watch asked the Ethics Commissioner to investigate whether the lost income was a financial motive. The Commissioner declined.
On December 2, 2025, the Markham–Unionville MP rose in the House to call the Liberals "team asset inflation," "team rentier economy," and "team feudalism." Nine days later, he was one of them. He has admitted he was "truly a Conservative" the night before he crossed.
The Edmonton Riverbend MP said his "focus must turn entirely to my family" when announcing his resignation in November 2025. Fourteen weeks later, he kept his seat and joined the Liberals — getting a Special Advisor role and foreign trips with the Prime Minister within weeks.
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<article>
<h1>Marilyn Gladu Endorsed Byelections for Floor-Crossers in January. In April, She Crossed the Floor.</h1>
<p><em>By Parliament Audit · April 19, 2026 · 5 min read</em></p>
<p><strong>On January 11, 2026, Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu told a local newspaper she supported a petition calling for automatic byelections when MPs switch parties, saying voters "deserve a chance to have a redo." On April 8, 2026, she crossed the floor to the Liberals herself. Sarnia-Lambton’s mayor and the local Conservative riding association president have publicly called for her to face a byelection. She has not.</strong></p>
<h2>What She Said in January</h2>
<p>On January 11, 2026, the Petrolia Lambton Independent published an interview with Sarnia-Lambton Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu. The subject: a constituent-driven petition calling on Parliament to require automatic byelections when an MP switches parties.</p>
<p>Gladu was on the record in support. The Independent quoted her in full:</p>
<p>"Really, the whole point of being an MP is to represent your constituents. So, if they're voting you in under one platform, for you to switch for whatever reasons, just seems to me to not be representing what you're supposed to be there to represent. We elected you under this banner, and if you don't want to be under that banner, then we deserve a chance to have a redo."</p>
<p>The Sarnia Journal subsequently confirmed the quote and the position.</p>
<h2>What She Did in April</h2>
<p>On April 8, 2026 — 87 days later — Gladu announced she was crossing the floor to join Mark Carney's Liberals. Her stated reason, per CBC: "I've heard clearly from constituents that you want serious leadership and a real plan to build a stronger and more independent Canadian economy."</p>
<p>The contradiction was noted immediately by local outlets. The Sarnia Journal headline read: "Gladu crosses the floor despite prior support for by-elections for party-switching MPs."</p>
<p>Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley and the Sarnia-Lambton Conservative riding association president have both publicly called for Gladu to face a byelection in keeping with her own January position. As of publication, Gladu has not committed to one.</p>
<h2>Other Position Reversals</h2>
<p>Gladu's caucus switch coincided with public reversals on two other long-held positions.</p>
<p>On abortion: Gladu voted in favour of Bill C-233 (the 2021 sex-selective abortion ban) and spoke at the 2017 March for Life on Parliament Hill. After joining the Liberal caucus, she stated: "I will protect the rights and freedoms of women to choose." The Catholic Register and Global News documented the shift.</p>
<p>On vaccine mandates: As a Conservative, Gladu led an internal "mini-caucus" against federal vaccine mandates and was dropped from the Conservative shadow cabinet in 2021 after publicly comparing COVID-19 risk unfavourably to polio — remarks she later apologized for, calling them "misinformation." She now sits in a caucus that has supported mandate-related employment insurance denials.</p>
<h2>Background</h2>
<p>Marilyn Gladu was first elected as the Conservative MP for Sarnia-Lambton in October 2015. She was re-elected in 2019, 2021, and again in the April 2025 federal election — each time on the Conservative ticket.</p>
<p>A chemical engineer by training (BSc, Queen's University; 21 years at Dow Chemical, then engineering director at Suncor), she became the first female chemical engineer to sit in the House of Commons. She was named Maclean's "Most Collegial Parliamentarian" in 2016.</p>
<p>Her notable legislative work as a Conservative includes Bill C-277 (the 2017 palliative care framework) and Bill C-228 (2023 pension protection). She chaired the Standing Committee on the Status of Women and ran an unsuccessful 2020 Conservative leadership bid that was disqualified for failing to meet the signature and deposit requirements.</p>
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Originally published by <a href="https://parliamentaudit.ca/news/marilyn-gladu-byelection-pledge-then-floor-cross">Parliament Audit</a>
under the <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND 4.0</a> license.
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