A recent The Canadian Press article examines the growing number of members of Parliament leaving office and the costs associated with replacing them through byelections. Elections Canada predicts this will cost taxpayers upwards of 24 million dollars with as many as 12 byelections by 2026, which is the highest amount since 1978. The high number of resignations is likely due to the Liberals winning the 2025 elections.
Dennis Pilon, a professor in the Department of Politics, commented on the trend in the article. While he said he doubts Canadians would want to prohibit MPs from resigning, the re-elections do come at a cost. Pilon also observed that many MPs are highly educated with a lot of economic and social privileges, which often means they get offered other professional opportunities.
Pilon holds a PhD in Political Science from 91ÑÇÉ«. His research interests include politics and government, labour, elections, democratic reform, class analysis and Canadian/comparative politics.
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