MP learns punishment for breaking ranks on Liberals’ tax proposal

OTTAWA (CP) — A Liberal backbencher has been informed of the price he’ll pay for breaking ranks with the Trudeau government on an opposition motion calling for more consultation on controversial tax proposals.

Wayne Long has been notified of the punishment he faces for voting against the government, a staffer in the MP’s Saint John, N.B., constituency office said Thursday. But Jim Hennessy, Long’s executive assistant, declined to share details of the penalty.

“Wayne has been made aware of the consequences, and at this time it’s an internal matter,” Hennessy said.

Liberal whip Pablo Rodriguez defended the decision to mete out punishment, although he, too, refused to go into details.

“Whenever there’s a whipped vote, there’ll always be consequences (for defying the whip) related to that,” Rodriguez said.

The CBC reported Thursday that Long was removed from two parliamentary committees for supporting the opposition motion.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has relaxed party discipline considerably, allowing free votes on most matters. But he still insists that Liberal MPs toe the party line when it comes to traditional confidence votes on things like the budget, votes related to implementing promises made in the Liberals’ election platform and votes that impact protections guaranteed in the charter of rights.

Votes in which MPs are expected to support their party are referred to as whipped votes.

Earlier this week, Long was the only Liberal to support a Conservative motion to extend consultations on proposed tax reforms that have unleashed a flood of criticism.