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Those rules require that after a federal election, the MPs of each party hold a vote to determine the rules for caucus expulsions. But in November 2015, after the Liberals formed government, they deferred the matter, and as a result the rules — which would have required 90 Liberal MPs to express support for expelling Philpott and Wilson-Raybould — were not formally adopted.

“We were expelled prior to the commencement of the Liberal caucus meeting,” Philpott told the House as she registered her complaint with Regan, a procedure known as a point of privilege.

“The prime minister’s words that night to the Liberal caucus are important to underscore, because expulsion should not be his decision to take unilaterally. However, the decision had been already made.”

Members of Parliament are not accountable to the leader but rather the leader is accountable to members of Parliament, Philpott said.

“This is a constitutional convention” — one so important that it has been codified in the Parliament of Canada Act, she added.

When later asked about Philpott’s complaint, Trudeau acknowledged that the decision to expel the pair was his alone, but one he made after consulting caucus members: “The will of caucus was very clear, but I made the decision.”