
Liberals Vote Against Adopting Measure That Allows Caucus to Remove Leader
The Liberal caucus has voted against adopting the Reform Act, which would have given Liberal MPs the power to oust leader Mark Carney if they deemed him unfit to lead the party.
Liberal caucus chair James Maloney said Liberal MPs voted on May 25 not to adopt the act, but he declined to say anything more about the vote, insisting any discussions that happen in caucus meetings should remain private.
The
The four provisions relate to whether the caucus will have the ability
The Conservatives voted to adopt all four aspects of the act at the start of the new Parliament in 2021 following the party's loss in the federal election—using it to
By not adopting the act, the Liberals didn't have the mechanism to eject former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as leader when the party was down in the polls in 2023 and 2024. Trudeau
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Three days before the caucus meeting and vote on May 25, Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith published a
Erskine-Smith, who
'Adopting these measures has nothing to do with [Carney] or his mandate, just as my support for the Reform Act measures in past Parliaments had nothing to do with Justin Trudeau,' he wrote on May 22.
Erskine-Smith said he has always supported adopting the Reform Act and will continue to do so.
Meanwhile, the Tories again
Legislative Agenda
Earlier on Sunday, May 25, Prime Minister Mark Carney told his Liberal caucus members that they are going to be 'very busy' once Parliament reopens the next day.
Addressing his caucus on May 25, Carney said his government's immediate priorities will focus on making life more affordable for Canadians, including cutting the lowest personal
The Conservatives have criticized the Liberals for delaying the budget until the fall, with Poilievre
Sunday's gathering on Parliament Hill marked the first time the Liberals had met since winning the federal election in April. The caucus briefly let TV cameras and reporters into their meeting to watch Carney deliver his speech outlining his plan for the new parliamentary session.
Carney promised his caucus that when they meet on May 26, it will be one of the busiest returns of Parliament in Canadian history. The new session is
'So we are going to be very, very busy in the next few weeks, but we are going to be very, very busy in the next few months. We are going to be very, very busy in the next few years,' Carney said. 'We're going to have to do things previously thought impossible, at speeds not seen in generations.'
Carney said he would introduce legislation to fast-track infrastructure projects of national interest and eliminate all federal barriers to free interprovincial trade. Since becoming prime minister, he has
On Canada's sovereignty, the Liberal leader said his government will 'work relentlessly' to keep the country safe. In his
'We are going to legislate to toughen the Criminal Code for those who are threatening the safety of Canadians, by making bail harder to get for those charged with stealing cars, with home invasion, with drug smuggling, with human trafficking,' Carney said.
Carney added that his government will establish a new economic and security relationship with the United States.
Matthew Horwood and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
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