Lib Pat O'Brien leaves Liberals

He's disappointed that the full and fair debate on the marriage bill that Paul Martin promissed has not happened, so he'll sit as an independent for now.

The Liberals are pushing to pass the same-sex bill this month before the summer break. But a compromise reached May 30 may postpone final passage of Bill C-38 until the fall.

"I feel he's making an enormous mistake to rush this legislation forward," said O'Brien. "There is no mandate for this government to take such an important action as trying to redefine marriage."

I haven't read anything about a compromise pushing the legislation to the fall, but that's a welcome development. Remember his press conference in April, where he decided to stick it out in the Liberal party because he believed he could make a difference? The fast-tracking announced late last week clearly tipped him over the edge, and who can blame him.

Let's also remember that he has a keen interest in seeing the government defeated now, because he must know that they don't have the numbers to beat the marriage bill directly. If he hopes to stop that bill, the government has to fall.