"'What a traitorous bitch.' 'You both are a disgrace to Alberta, lying bitches.' 'Now you have two blonde bimbos in that party that are clueless.' 'Another useless tit goes NDP.' 'Dead meat.' 'Sandra should stay in the kitchen where she belongs.' 'Fly with the crows [and] get shot.' 'Dumb broad. A good place for her to be is with the rest of the queers.'"
"Partisans have a fierce reaction to parliamentarians who betray their cause and bring ignominy upon the group. Given the deep-rooted party loyalties in Canada, it is no surprise that many voters feel betrayed when their elected representative unilaterally switches parties between elections, and that rejected partisans pile on criticism to make a perceived traitor's life miserable."
"There is the practical side of changing jobs, such as lack of familiarity with the new organization's customs and workplace culture and not knowing who people are. There is the added dimension of needing to build trust with suspicious colleagues, most of whom, until recently, were adversaries, both within a caucus and an electoral district associati"
Sandra Jansen, one of nine Progressive Conservative MLAs elected in 2015 and the only woman in that caucus, crossed the floor to the New Democrats after a conversation with Rachel Notley. She read misogynistic social-media messages directed at her and Premier Notley aloud in the legislature and received a standing ovation. She was temporarily assigned a security detail after receiving threats but canceled it amid criticism over costs. She was appointed to cabinet a year later, yet the backlash influenced her decision not to seek re-election. Party switching triggers intense feelings of betrayal and requires learning new customs and building trust with formerly adversarial colleagues.
Read at The Walrus
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