But in reality, 172 caucus members, or a one-MP majority, is not the panacea for the Liberals that many imagine it to be. In fact, in many ways, it’s the worst-case scenario for a majority government, says Lyle Skinner, a constitutional lawyer specializing in parliamentary law. Since the Liberals are without Scarpaleggia’s vote, that means they have 171 votes against a combined opposition vote of… 171. “You need to have a majority votes in order to change the committee composition. At 173 MPs, the Liberals could maintain the speakership and a razor-thin margin over opposition MPs during votes (172 to 171).

Source: National Post December 29, 2025 16:05 UTC