Greater Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Bill Bradley
Rookie Sudbury-area federal politicians Glenn Thibeault and Claude Gravelle have been thrust into the midst of one of the most exciting times in Canadian political history.
At issue has been who will lead Canada next week and where will New Democrats, like Thibeault and Gravelle, fit into the scheme of things.
Richard Eberhardt, constituency assistant in the temporary office of Sudbury MP Glenn Thibeault, said a major national announcement would be made by MPs late Monday afternoon from politicians from the Liberals and NDP.
CBC News indicated Monday morning that the details of an agreement between the Liberals and NDP to form a coalition government, with the backing of the Bloc Québécois, were fleshed out Sunday evening.
On Monday afternoon, Bob Rae's office confirmed all three Liberal leadership candidates - Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae and Dominic LeBlanc - agreed to allow current Liberal leader, Stéphane Dion, to be interim prime minister.
The agreement would force out the governing Conservatives, led by Stephen Harper, as early as next week, if their authority to govern is be granted by the Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean. The pact would last 30 months.
Rae's office confirmed the coalition had agreed on a $30 billion stimulus package that included help for the ailing forestry sector in the north and the struggling auto sector in southern Ontario.
Liberals would take 18 cabinet seats to six by the NDP, including one economics portfolio, reported CTV. This would be the first time the NDP actually participated in governing the country on a national level, and the first time in over half a century that Canada has been governed by a coalition.
“The NDP caucus is involved in very intense meetings all day today in Ottawa,” said Eberhardt.
Office staff at the constituency office of Nickel Belt MP Claude Gravelle said their member of Parliament was also mired in meetings.
A number of Conservative moves in the past week outraged Opposition parties.
“The Conservative government's continued panic-mode governing undermines Canadians' confidence in its ability to manage our economy in a time of crisis,” said Liberal Party House leader, Ralph Goodale, in a release Sunday.
Conservative flip-flops on stimulating the economy, when the federal budget was to be tabled, on axing opposition party financing and on preventing public service unions from striking in the near future, indicate the Conservatives are governing on the fly, said Goodale.
CTV News released a story Monday morning indicating the proposed coalition would have the help of a high profile economics council comprised of former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna, former Liberal prime minister and finance minister Paul Martin, former Liberal leadership candidate and finance minister, John Manley, and former Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow.
