2015 Federal Election

[tomh009]

(...) Ultimately, you are putting your 'x' down next to an individual's name. We've allowed party discipline to become so strong that these single individuals' influence in the house is arguably very small. It doesn't have to be that way, but it has been for a long time. (...)

The opposite scenario exists in the US Senate and House -- and at times results in either earmark politics, or a largely ungovernable country, or both.  (Take a look and see how much legislation has been passed in the US this year, and compare it to the number of government shutdowns.)

Party discipline has some downsides, but it does make it easier for a government (whether majority, minority or coalition) to function.