Editing Crossing the floor (section)

==Etymology==
The term originates from the [[British House of Commons]], which is configured with the Government and [[Parliamentary Opposition|Opposition]] facing each other on rows of benches. In consequence, [[Member of Parliament|MPs]] who switch from the governing party to one in opposition (or vice versa) also change which side of the chamber on which they sit. A notable example of this is [[Winston Churchill]], who crossed the floor from the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] to the [[Liberal party (UK)|Liberals]] in 1904, later crossing back in 1924. The term has passed into general use in other [[Westminster System|Westminster]] parliamentary democracies even if many of these countries have semicircular or horseshoe-shaped debating chambers.

The Australia meaning on the other hand arises from the way divisions—roll call votes—are conducted.<ref>[https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1920/CrossingTheFloorFederalParliament Australian Parliamentary Library Research Papers:  "Crossing the floor in the federal parliament 1950–April 2019" (Deirdre McKeown and Rob Lundie, March 12, 2020.]</ref> In Australian chambers, members move to the government benches (on the presiding officer's right) to vote in favor of a motion, and the opposition benches (on the presiding officer's left) to vote against a motion. Therefore, an MP who crosses the floor is on the opposite side of the chamber from the rest of their party, and on government motions frequently on the opposite side of the chamber than they normally sit.

In [[Nigeria]], the term "crossing the carpet" or "carpet crossing" is used.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://guardian.ng/opinion/carpet-crossing/ |first=Dan |last=Agbese |title=Carpet Crossing |newspaper=[[The Guardian (Nigeria)|The Guardian]] |location=Lagos |date=19 February 2017}}</ref> In India, a similar expression is "[[Aaya Ram Gaya Ram]]", referring to political floor-crossing.<ref name=ddd4>Paras Diwan, 1979, "Aya Ram Gaya Ram: The Politics Of Defection", ''Journal of the Indian Law Institute'', Vol. 21, No. 3, July–September 1979, pp. 291-312.</ref>