Coderre tries to reignite NDP merger talk

While some people may feel it's time for progressive politicians in Canada to join forces, the only person in the Liberal caucus who seems interested in that discussion this week is veteran Quebec MP Denis Coderre.

While other caucus members lined up to emphasize that they were focused on the future of the Liberal party, not what the New Democrats may be doing, Coderre suggested that the united mood after former NDP leader Jack Layton's funeral had reignited flameslit before the last election by senior party statesmen concerned that the only way to defeat Stephen Harper's Conservatives was tojoin forces.

"I think that it would be a valid discussion to continue what Mr. Chrtien, Mr. Broadbent and Mr. Romanow did in the past," Coderre said, referring to secret talks reportedlyconvened to explore the possibility of not just working together in a potential coalition government, but actually merging the two parties.

"I'm not saying we should do it right away. You don't pull a flower to make it grow faster."

Former NDP leader Ed Broadbent told CBC News on Tuesday thatafter the NDP's electoral success last spring, he doesn't support merging the Liberal and New Democratic parties now.

Coderre pointed out Mondaythat the NDP did leavethe door open to the possibility of a mergeratitsJune convention.

Speaking to Evan Solomon on CBC News Network's Power & Politics on Wednesday, Manitoba NDP MP Pat Martin said that he wants to support a candidate in the upcomingNDP leadership racewho is in favour of merging the two parties. What's more, if no other unity candidate emerges, Martin said he's prepared to throw his name into the mix to make sure there's at least one candidate in the NDP race who's advocating a merger.

"It's a matter of timing," Coderre said, acknowledging that his perspective as a Quebec MP shapes his view. Noting that he respects that others are against the idea, he added, "you don't want to go too fast."

Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae dismissed Coderre's suggestion that merger talks would be a good idea, and said it was not part of the party's discussions this week.

"A debate will happen, but if somebody says to me, 'Is it a debate about something real?' my answer is no. I'm not running a political seminar here. I'm running a political party that's looking at real issues in front of it," Rae said at the conclusion of the caucus meetings Tuesday.

"Mr. Chrtien can muse,"Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae told reporters, referring to a report of the former prime minister discussing it on his way home from Layton's funeral.

"It's not on our agenda," Rae insisted, noting that he hasn't spoken with Chrtien about it recently.

Reporters covering the Liberals' summer caucus retreat on Parliament Hill this week tried valiantlyto shake loose other MPs who may be interested in merging the two parties. But senior Liberals held firm to their message that rebuilding their own party was their main focus.

Deputy leader Ralph Goodale wasadamant.

"[The idea of a merger] is not bubbling in the caucus.The topic[Monday]ineight hours of discussion didn't come up," Goodale said on Tuesday morning."The Liberal team is just not interested in that proposition."

"That topic didn't come up," Nova Scotia MP Geoff Regan said of their caucus discussions. "To me it's a little surprising to see it on the front pages.

"It's not at the top of my list that's for sure," Regan said. "It's not the top of our minds."

Fellow Nova Scotian Rodger Cuzner suggested the media was fabricating the story on a slow news week. "I'm certainly not hearing anything from the people that I represent," he added.

"The train has left the station," Quebec MP Marc Garneau said, ruling outthe possibility."It's pure speculation. It's not on our agenda."

Former leader Stphane Dion was only slightly more open."I'm not surprised so many people think it's a good idea under the circumstances, but we have to rebuild the party," Dion said. "We can co-operate with theNDP but we need to have a strong Liberal Party."

On Monday, fellow Quebec MP Justin Trudeau had been the closest to echoing Coderre's call for merger discussions as a potential alternative to the party's status quo, which he believes must change. But he wasn't fully on board.

"Im certainly not going to take anything off the table, but Im certainly not convinced that a merger is the right thing or the way to go," Trudeau told reporters. "Im open to being convinced, but I'm not there."