Latest news with #ReformAct
Montreal Gazette
a day ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: Reform Act snub bad for Liberals — and for democracy
Op Eds At a caucus meeting on Sunday afternoon, the Liberal Party of Canada opted not to adopt the Reform Act. Brought in as an amendment to the Parliament of Canada Act in 2014, the Reform Act allows MPs in a parliamentary group that hold official party status (holding 12 or more seats) to vote on a series of measures at the beginning of a parliamentary session regarding internal caucus management. If adopted, the measures last the duration of the session. The most notable of the measures involves the power to initiate a leadership review. The Conservative caucus used this part of the act to remove then-leader Erin O'Toole in 2022. Given the tumult that rocked the Liberals in the closing period of Justin Trudeau's reign, the party's decision not to adopt this provision is notable. Indeed, most agree that Trudeau only stayed in power throughout the byelection losses in Liberal strongholds and declining polls of 2024 because no formal mechanism existed to force his removal, despite growing discontent within the Liberal caucus. It took the extraordinary events of Dec. 16, 2024 to force the longtime Liberal leader to consider his position. On that morning, with the fall economic statement to be tabled, then-finance minister Chrystia Freeland published a bombshell resignation letter criticizing the 'costly political gimmicks' it contained. With no finance minister in situ and therefore no one in a position to deliver the important fiscal update, Ottawa fell into chaos and Trudeau scrambled to shore up his position. It was the beginning of the end for a leader who had lost the confidence not just of Freeland, his closest political confidante, but also his caucus, many of whom feared their re-election was unlikely with Trudeau in charge. Trudeau finally announced his resignation on Jan. 6. Thus began the process that led to Mark Carney becoming prime minister and the saviour of the Liberals' electoral fortunes. It seems now — with a successful election in the rear-view mirror, Parliament resuming and a raft of problems to get to grips with — the newly elected Liberal government has forgotten about one major driver of the party's near-death experience before the unexpected alchemy of Donald Trump, tariffs and Carney resuscitated it. In the aftermath of Trudeau's resignation, Freeland campaigned to replace him partially on a policy of mandatory leadership reviews. 'We can never again be in a position where the leader is the only person who decides who the leader is,' she told the National Post. Why then have Liberal MPs now declined the opportunity to adopt the power to review the position of the leader? The Liberal caucus has apparently grown accustomed to being dominated by a strong leader. More broadly, party discipline in Canada is arguably the most rigid among comparable parliamentary democracies. Despite the Conservatives' adoption and use of the Reform Act in the past, the party remains under tight discipline. One reason for this is fear that the diverse array of regional and ideological concerns that populate Canada's big-tent parties will spill over into a dissonant and incoherent message that may dilute or undermine the party's core brand. Party leaders exert huge influence over MPs, utilizing the carrot and stick of speaking time, committee positions and — on the government side — cabinet portfolios to compel unity. Although this drive toward party unity is understandable, when applied as it is in Canada, the result contributes to a profound democratic deficit. MPs are habitually whipped, and not just to vote in party blocks for or against legislation. Increasingly, overbearing conformity of political communication dominates individual members' capacity to authentically advocate on behalf of their constituents both inside and outside the House of Commons. This serves to undermine the democratic mandate received by each MP by virtue of winning their riding. Politics remains the greasy pole described by the 19th century British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli — hard to get to the top, and all too easy to plummet back down. Party leaders ought not be facilitated in using this fact to excessively control their parliamentary caucuses. The Liberal party recently learned what can happen when a sitting PM views the caucus as subject to his pleasure, rather than his position being tenable only based on his maintenance of their confidence. It is a shame that they have opted to forget this lesson.
National Observer
2 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
Even after the Justin Trudeau fallout, Liberal MPs still reject Reform Act rules
Liberal MPs voted against adopting a formal process to eject their leader should the need arise, newly elected Liberal Caucus Chair James Maloney confirmed on Sunday. A majority of the caucus voted down a motion to adopt the rules set out under the decade-old Reform Act. That law was originated by Conservative MP Michael Chong to embolden individual MPs to hold their party leaders to account by allowing them to force leadership reviews, among other things. But Maloney refused to say anything more about the vote or the secret deliberations, insisting that should all remain private. 'The Reform Act was voted down,' Maloney said after the Liberals met for their first caucus meeting since the April 28 election. 'What happens in caucus stays in caucus, and you're going to hear me say that today, and tomorrow and every day going forward.' The internal debate was prompted by Liberal MPs who were frustrated former leader Justin Trudeau was able to remain at the helm despite numerous calls from within caucus for him to step aside. Adopting the Reform Act rules would have given Liberal MPs a road map for such situations. That's how the Conservatives ousted Erin O'Toole from the leadership after the Conservatives lost the 2021 election. The rules let a fifth of the party's MPs move to trigger a leadership review. Then, a majority vote would be required to eject the leader. Liberal MPs refused to talk about the outcome following their meeting on Sunday, but a few chimed in beforehand to share how they personally felt. Whitby MP Ryan Turnbull said he had planned to support adopting the rules because it's "important to have caucus accountability in every party." But Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma MP Terry Sheehan said he doesn't see the need for the new rules, which his party has never adopted. "I've come in with a pre-set mind that I will not be supporting the Reform Act because we don't need to. Our caucus is strong," he said. "Behind those doors right there, that's our caucus and we can let our hair down any time and have frank and open discussions." Prime Minister Mark Carney rallied his Liberal caucus Sunday afternoon with a speech that laid out his governing agenda for the re-opening of Parliament. The Liberals briefly let the TV cameras and reporters into their first caucus meeting since winning the April 28 election to watch Carney address his new colleagues. Carney said his government's immediate focus will be on affordability measures, such as quickly passing the tax cut he promised during the campaign. From dealing with a chaotic White House to building up the economy, he set the stakes high for his new MPs. "Our government has been elected to do nothing less than define a new economic and security relationship with the United States," he said. "Canadians also want their life to become more affordable. They want their communities safer. We will deliver these mandates with urgency and determination. We are going to get going from minute one." Carney said his ministers will immediately introduce legislation to fast-track infrastructure projects deemed to be in the national interest and bring in a bill to eliminate all federal barriers to free trade in Canada. Parliament returns on Monday to elect a new Speaker for the House of Commons, followed by a throne speech on Tuesday to be delivered by King Charles III. Carney promised his government would move at a brisk pace with "one of the most busy returns to Parliament in Canadian history." Parliament, however, is only scheduled to sit for a month before a pre-scheduled summer break until September, and the new government has not made time to table its budget until fall. Still, Carney said his minority government team will be "very, very busy" in not just the coming weeks, but also over the next few years, and accomplish things "previously thought impossible at speeds not seen in generations." The previous minority Parliament found itself gridlocked for months last year amid procedural obstructions, and the Trudeau government had largely failed to pass legislation or advance much of its agenda in its waning days in office. Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon said he has spoken to the House leaders of all the opposition parties and is hoping for a reset in relations in the new Parliament. "We are a minority government, so that obviously means that we need to attract support from all sides of the House to get anything done," he said. "At the same time, we believe very, very clearly that Canadians have given us a mandate, and I think it will be incumbent on all parties to respond to that mandate."
National Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- National Post
Michael Higgins: Liberal caucus submits to Carney as it did to Trudeau
Contrary to what many in the West believe, some countries dislike democracy, preferring the strongman, the firm ruler, the dictator. Article content Article content So it is with the Liberals who have shunned accountability and democracy in favour of the autocratic leader. Article content Considering the problems the Liberals had with the last guy, it must be the case that some turkeys really do vote for Christmas. Article content Article content On Sunday, a majority of the Liberal caucus voted down a motion to adopt the rules set out in the Reform Act, a decade old law to give MPs more power. Article content Article content One of the central planks of the Reform Act would give caucus members the right to trigger a review of the party leader. Article content The private bill sponsored by Conservative Michael Chong passed its third reading in the House in 2014 with an impressive 260 votes for with only 17 against. Article content At the time, Chong said, 'I don't expect that all the rules will be adopted all at once, but in the long run, party caucuses will democratize themselves and empower themselves.' Article content After each federal election, parties vote on whether to adopt Reform Act rules or not. Article content The Liberals, despite overwhelmingly voting in favour of the act, have always chosen not to adopt it. Article content But the failure not to vote for it this time is baffling. Article content Former Liberal leader Justin Trudeau refused to relinquish power and attempts to get him to go bordered on the farcical. Article content During a caucus meeting last October, a letter from MPs was read to Trudeau urging him to step aside. The letter was signed by two dozen Liberal MPs, but such is the fear ingrained in MPs that the letter presented to Trudeau at the caucus meeting did not contain any names. Article content Article content Trudeau responded defiantly within 24 hours saying that he would be leading the Liberals into the next election. Article content Article content Many Liberal MPs critical of Trudeau preferred to remain anonymous with New Brunswick MP Wayne Long being one of the few who was open and vocal. Article content The calls within the party for Trudeau to go kept getting louder and yet the prime minister held on to power tenaciously, gripping it with his fingernails as events tried to prise him from it. By December, a majority of his caucus was demanding he resign; then Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland quit cabinet and with a twist of the knife accused Trudeau of 'political gimmicks,' and perhaps most damning was the lack of public support, the approval rating for Trudeau was at an all-time low and support for the Liberals stood at a mere 16 per cent. Article content In the face of all this, Trudeau went skiing and it wasn't until January that he bowed to the inevitable.
Epoch Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
What Is the Reform Act, and How Will It Impact Poilievre?
In addition to selecting an interim Opposition leader in the House on May 6 while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre remains without a seat in the House of Commons, Tory MPs also voted to invoke the federal Reform Act, which allows for a secret-ballot vote to review party leadership at any time. While many Conservative MPs have expressed their support for Poilievre, the legislation could haunt him as he gets ready for the next federal election. Previous Usage The At the outset of each session of Parliament, the MPs in each party vote on which provisions they want to apply to their caucus. If they vote in favour, the provisions apply until Parliament is dissolved. In 2021, the Conservative Party used the act to expel MP Derek Sloan The leadership removal provisions of the act have only been used once before, when it set in motion a leadership review of O'Toole and led to his The Conservatives had been defeated in the Related Stories 5/6/2025 5/10/2025 The Conservative Party had also been split over COVID-19 vaccines, as a number of MPs and senators had not received the vaccine and eventually discussed creating a 'civil liberties caucus' to speak up for Canadians facing job loss and restricted movement over their vaccination status. O'Toole, who was fully vaccinated, had not required his MPs to be vaccinated and suggested rapid testing should be offered as an alternative to vaccination. Conservative While O'Toole ejected Batters from the national caucus in November 2021 , it was not enough to quell a leadership vote. She The Liberal Party voted not to adopt the Reform Act at the outset of Parliament in 2021, meaning they could not vote to eject Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as leader when the party was down in the polls in 2023 and 2024. The NDP and Bloc Québécois also voted not to adopt the Reform Act at the beginning of the parliamentary session in 2021. Poilievre's Leadership Similar to O'Toole, Poilievre has said he intends to The Conservatives fared better in the 2025 election than they did four years earlier, winning an extra 25 seats and their largest share of the popular vote since 1988. Yet the Liberals won 170 seats, just three short of a majority, and in an upset , Poilievre lost re-election in his Ottawa riding of Carleton, which he had held for over two decades. Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy received 50.8 percent of the vote in the riding, while Poilievre received 45.8 percent. Alberta Conservative MP Prime Minister Mark Carney, who will ultimately determine when any byelections are held, has pledged not to hold up the process for political gain. 'I will ensure that it happens as soon as possible,' Carney said during a May 2 press conference. 'No games, nothing.' Poilievre's future as leader of the party is also helped by the fact that for a year and a half, the party was well ahead of the Liberal Party in the polls. It was the resignation of Trudeau, his replacement by Mark Carney, and U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and threats to Canada's sovereignty that tipped the scales in the Liberals' favour. Until Poilievre returns to Parliament as Conservative leader, the role of the Opposition leader in the House is being held by MP Many Conservative MPs
Epoch Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
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 Related Stories 5/22/2025 5/19/2025 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.
