Canadian Liberal MP expelled from caucus for supporting Conservative budget
{{date|March 21, 2007}}
{{Canadian news}}

[[w:Liberal party of canada|Liberal]] [[w:Member of Parliment#Canada|Member of Parliament]] (MP) [[w:Joe Comuzzi|Joe Comuzzi]], 73, was ousted from the Liberal caucus today by leader [[w:Stephane Dion|Stéphane Dion]].

The move was in response to Comuzzi's intention to support the [[w:Conservative party of canada|Conservative]] government's second budget, tabled March 20, 2007. Comuzzi supports the budget because it has funding for a cancer research centre that will hire 300 people in his riding of [[w:Thunder Bay—Superior North|Thunder Bay—Superior North]] in [[w:Northern Ontario|Northern Ontario]].

"It's for a single issue that's of absolute critical importance to all the people in Thunder Bay and northwestern Ontario, and that's the cancer research centre," he said in response to his decision.

Following a March 21 caucus meeting, Dion told reporters "I spoke with him. He said that he will vote for this bad budget." Dion explained that it was obligatory for his MPs to follow party direction on confidence measures, such as the latest budget. "He's well aware, after 19 years in the House, of the consequences of what he's doing,"

Comuzzi, first elected to the [[w:Canadian House of Commons|House of Commons]] in 1988, had resigned a junior cabinet position previously in 2005, in protest of [[w:Paul Matin|Paul Matin's]] then Liberal government's support of same-sex marriage. He had held the Minister of State responsible for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor) portofio.

Comuzzi will sit as an Independent and had previously said he will not run in the next federal election. He is now one of the two only Independent MPs in the House.

The move will leave the Liberals with 100 seats in the House. Out of all the 308 seats in the House, the governing Conservatives have 125 seats, the Bloc Québécois have 50, and the New Democrats have 29.

==Related news==
*{{wikinews|title=Bloc Québécois support Canadian budget, Liberals, NDP oppose|date=March 20, 2007}}

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/03/21/comuzzi-liberal.html
|title=Liberals oust Ontario MP for supporting budget
|author=
|pub=CBC News
|date=March 21, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070321.wcomuzzi0321/BNStory/National/home
|title=Liberal Comuzzi expelled from caucus
|author=Gloria Galloway
|pub=Globe and Mail
|date=March 21, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2007-03-21T192319Z_01_N21432465_RTRIDST_0_CANADA-LIBERAL-COL.XML
|title=Liberals expel member for backing budget
|author=
|pub=Reuters
|date=March 21, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.news1130.com/news/national/article.jsp?content=n032150A
|title=Comuzzi turfed from Liberal caucus for supporting
|author=Canadian Press
|pub=News1130
|date=March 21, 2007}}

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[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Canada]]
[[Category:Ontario]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Canadian House of Commons]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Canada]]
[[Category:Conservative Party of Canada]]
Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) Joe Comuzzi, 73, was ousted from the Liberal caucus today by leader Stéphane Dion.

The move was in response to Comuzzi's intention to support the Conservative government's second budget, tabled March 20, 2007. Comuzzi supports the budget because it has funding for a cancer research centre that will hire 300 people in his riding of Thunder Bay—Superior North in Northern Ontario.

"It's for a single issue that's of absolute critical importance to all the people in Thunder Bay and northwestern Ontario, and that's the cancer research centre," he said in response to his decision.

Following a March 21 caucus meeting, Dion told reporters "I spoke with him. He said that he will vote for this bad budget." Dion explained that it was obligatory for his MPs to follow party direction on confidence measures, such as the latest budget. "He's well aware, after 19 years in the House, of the consequences of what he's doing,"

Comuzzi, first elected to the House of Commons in 1988, had resigned a junior cabinet position previously in 2005, in protest of Paul Matin's then Liberal government's support of same-sex marriage. He had held the Minister of State responsible for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor) portofio.

Comuzzi will sit as an Independent and had previously said he will not run in the next federal election. He is now one of the two only Independent MPs in the House.

The move will leave the Liberals with 100 seats in the House. Out of all the 308 seats in the House, the governing Conservatives have 125 seats, the Bloc Québécois have 50, and the New Democrats have 29.
North America Canada Ontario Politics and conflicts Canadian House of Commons Liberal Party of Canada Conservative Party of Canada