has any of the current liberal justices ever broken ranks

But the Liberal source also suggested that global turmoil was increasing the pressure on progressive politicians to show they had answers to concerns about the cost of living. Those events consumed more of the government's time. Then 2022 began and brought with it unforeseen events - an anti-vaccine mandate convoy protest occupying downtown Ottawa, followed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Police enforce an injunction against anti-vaccine mandate protesters in Ottawa on Feb. 'We don't have to see eye-to-eye on everything but can we at least find a way on the things that are blindingly obvious that we agree on?' the Liberal source said, explaining the motivation for a deal. The Liberal source argued that while the government was able to get its most important pieces of legislation through a divided House of Commons in the last Parliament, the process was so time-consuming that other bills - like those on conversion therapy and justice reform - fell by the wayside, even though the government knew it had the votes it needed. At least three of the primary negotiators also had firsthand experience - McGrath, Telford and Broadhurst were involved in the coalition talks in 2008. A Liberal source acknowledged that the B.C. NDP officials reached out to people involved in the confidence-and-supply agreements signed in British Columbia in 2017 and Yukon in 2021. That meant a deal needed to be completed quickly if it was to be announced before the prime minister departed.Īccording to the Liberal source, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland was kept in the loop and other cabinet ministers were consulted about aspects that touched on their departments. An NDP source said the party wanted to have an agreement in place in time to influence the government's spring budget.Ī Liberal source said that, as the March 14 discussion was concluding, news was also breaking of a NATO leaders' summit scheduled for Brussels this week. The bulk of the deal seems to have come together in the last two weeks. Due to the pandemic, most of the discussions happened by phone or video conference. The NDP source said that maintaining a tight circle lowered the likelihood of further leaks.

Katie Telford, chief of staff to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was a key player in the Liberal-NDP talks. Faced with his own problems, O'Toole condemned what he described as a Liberal-NDP 'coalition.' Still, reports of possible collaboration were greeted enthusiastically in November by Erin O'Toole, who was still hanging on as Conservative leader. The Liberal minority government was relatively secure and found the support it needed to pass several measures before the House of Commons adjourned in December.

Unlike similar confidence-and-supply agreements in Ontario, British Columbia and the Yukon - which came about very quickly after elections - there was no great urgency to the negotiations between Trudeau and Singh. We just needed a little break,' a senior Liberal source with direct knowledge of the talks, speaking on condition they not be named, told the CBC this week. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh talks to Rosemary Barton Live about what his party gets for supporting the government - and what was left out of the pact. on March 21: a confidence-and-supply agreement that would allow the Liberals to govern with NDP support until 2025, contingent on the implementation of a negotiated list of policies and priorities.ĭuration 8:29 The New Democrats will back the Liberal minority government until June 2025 after signing a confidence-and-supply agreement. In those meetings, Liberals and New Democrats were let in on this week's big surprise, first reported by the CBC's Vassy Kapelos shortly after 9 p.m. Liberal MPs were told of a virtual caucus meeting at 8:30 p.m., while NDP MPs were called to their own meeting for 8:45 p.m. the next day, a note from the Privy Council Office alerted cabinet ministers to a cabinet meeting abruptly scheduled for that evening at 7:15 p.m. On March 14, an otherwise uneventful Monday in the nation's capital, it was also where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh came to a historic agreement between their parties during a three-hour meeting.īy the following Sunday, their officials had worked out the final wording of a tentative agreement. The residence at 7 Rideau Gate - a 19th-century home nestled between Rideau Hall and 24 Sussex in Ottawa's New Edinburgh neighbourhood - is typically used as Canada's official guest house for visiting dignitaries and foreign leaders.

Has any of the current liberal justices ever broken ranks