Party status for NDP likely not 'on the table,' says Liberal House leader
The government House leader says he doesn't expect the NDP to gain official party status in the House of Commons.
Steven MacKinnon told CBC News Network's Rosemary Barton Live that despite ongoing negotiations with interim NDP Leader Don Davies, he doesn't expect the opposition party will be granted party status.
"I've spoken to Mr. Davies. Party status is probably not something that's on the table. That's set out in law," MacKinnon told Barton in an interview airing Sunday.
The NDP was reduced to seven seats in last month's election — five short of the 12 needed to be a recognized party in the House of Commons.
Being a recognized party in the House grants certain privileges that the NDP has now lost. Those include being guaranteed a question in the daily question period, participation in committees and funding for the leader's office and research bureau.
Davies had said earlier this month that he was talking with both Liberals and Conservatives to make the case that the rules should be bent so that the NDP can be granted recognized status. But he said the NDP wasn't seeking a "quid pro quo" agreement for party status.
"We think we have a strong case to be made that New Democrats need to bring the voices of 1.2 million Canadians to Parliament," Davies said.
MacKinnon did suggest that there might be other solutions that could give the NDP a larger role despite its smaller caucus.
"[Mr. Davies] advanced several, very, very constructive ideas respectful of the traditions of the New Democratic Party. These are things I cannot decide on my own, but we've taken very very careful notes and we'll continue to work on those," Mackinnon said.
cbc.ca
