Since becoming the Liberal leader, Michael Ignatieff has made a meeting of senior Liberal MPs part of his morning routine.
Each day at 8:30 am, a dozen Liberals meet in Ignatieff’s centre block office to discuss strategy for the day and beyond—the group including Bob Rae, Ujjal Dosanjh, Ralph Goodale, Marlene Jennings and Denis Coderre. Though many members are reluctant to talk about the daily meetings—Ignatieff having imposed newfound discipline on the party—a few gush to the Hill Times that the discussions are frank and inclusive. “If anybody has a thin skin it’s probably not the right meeting for them. If you throw something out then you have to be willing to defend it,” says Rodger Cuzner. “Everyone puts forward their best case and the leader listens intently and he’ll throw his two cents worth in, and a decision will be made and away you go.”