And then there were two.
Green party leader Elizabeth May has seen her caucus-of-one doubled as she welcomed former northwestern Ontario New Democrat MP Bruce Hyer to sit with her as a Green MP in mid-December.
The former Thunder Bay forestry and tourism consultant and entrepreneur was first elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2011.
He split with the NDP last year because of its support for the long gun registry and his opposition. He sat for the past year as an Independent MP.
Hyer had promised his Thunder Bay and rural constituents that he would vote to end the registry and split with his party when the NDP leadership insisted all NDP MPs oppose Conservative legislation to kill the registry.
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When he announced in mid-December that he was moving to the Green caucus, he said the attraction was that May does not force MPs to adhere to a party line.
“My decision to sit as an independent was a response to the way the major parties limited true representation of my constituents by demanding lockstep discipline,” he said. “This mindless solidarity prevents co-operation and compromise, meaningful policy discussion and finding productive solutions for Canadians.”
Hyer said he will use his position within the Green party caucus to pursue democratic reform, national energy security and climate change policies.
May said in a statement that doubling her caucus and working with Hyer will help “to break through the partisan gridlock and work on issues that matter most to Canadians.”
Hyer, 67, was the NDP critic for tourism and small business.
Although having two members in the House of Commons does not qualify the Green party to be recognized as a party within Commons rules, the two MPs are recognized as Green party MPs.
However, for House funding purposes, they are considered Independents with no extra party funding.
