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OTTAWA — Stéphane Dion followed the script developed by his senior caucus leadership as he announced yesterday that there wasn't enough in the Harper budget to justify an election.
The Liberal Leader, who insiders say wants an election, did not look like a happy man as he emerged from the House of Commons lobby, hand-in-hand with his wife, Janine Krieber, and as per the strategy told reporters that, although he didn't like the budget, the Liberals would allow it to pass.
The fact that his wife was there supporting him shows how difficult this has been.
His decision yesterday was the result of a long and testy meeting Monday morning with his key MPs and senators.
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An insider says the meeting lasted almost three hours, during which Mr. Dion and House Leader Ralph Goodale exchanged strong words with Liberal Senate Leader Céline Hervieux-Payette.
About 15 people attended and they were divided on whether the caucus should defeat the government. Insiders say that Deputy Leader Michael Ignatieff made a "passionate plea" for the Liberals to trigger an election.
Mr. Ignatieff is on the "hawk" side of the caucus. Many of his supporters want to go to the polls now so as not to be seen continually supporting the Tory economic agenda.
But he was shot down, most significantly by national campaign co-chair David Smith, a veteran organizer and senator from Ontario. Mr. Smith said simply that the party wasn't ready to mount a national campaign, one insider said.
Others argued that they should not acquiesce to Mr. Harper by triggering an election that he seems to want; the election should be called on their terms and timing.
"It's a mess," said one MP about the state of play in the caucus over triggering the government's defeat. Some MPs believe that if the campaign team is not ready, after being put on notice as far back as the fall, then the leader should fire them all.
As well as the budget as a possible cause for an election, Prime Minister Harper had warned that he would go to the Governor-General and force a vote if the crime bill was amended.
Two weeks ago during the national caucus meeting, Mr. Dion had told senators he wanted the omnibus crime bill "unamended and passed."
There were more fireworks among the Liberals when Ms. Hervieux-Payette told the leader that some Liberal senators did not like the Tory crime bill and were threatening to amend it, clearly challenging his leadership.
Mr. Dion told his Senate leader, according to an insider, that this was unacceptable and that the bill must pass. Even Mr. Goodale got into the act in an attempt to talk her out of it.
And with two of the issues - the budget and extending Canada's mission in Afghanistan - resolved, an election over the crime bill would be a disaster for the Liberals.
Insiders say it would have given the Tories three great points on which to criticize them during a campaign: they could claim that the Liberal Leader is weak because he could not control his senators; that an expensive election was triggered by unelected senators; and that the Liberals are soft on crime.
Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Dion met with Liberal senators and impressed upon them "the importance of passing the legislation while respecting the work they do," his spokeswoman, Leslie Swartman, said.
By the end of the afternoon, the bill had passed unamended through the committee stage and will likely be through the entire Senate tomorrow.
Said Liberal Senate spokesman Marc Roy: "Even though many flaws have been identified by witnesses testifying before the committee, Liberal senators chose not to amend the bill because the government made it very clear that amendments would not be evaluated on their merit but rather used as an excuse to call an election."
Meanwhile, the Liberal caucus met last night. One issue that is still unresolved is whether Liberal MPs will stand up in the Commons and vote in favour of the budget or abstain.
Some Liberal MPs are fed up with abstaining, according to insiders, and may push to vote - another minefield for Mr. Dion to pick his way through.
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