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OTTAWA — Senior Liberal MPs moved to formally sever ties with the Senate Friday as exiled caucus members continued to defy Justin Trudeau over his ambitious plan to reform the Red Chamber.

A group of senators jettisoned from caucus this week have claimed Trudeau couldn’t stop any of them from calling themselves Liberals, in a move that could undermine the rookie leader’s authority.

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“Justin Trudeau has no authority or authorization to determine my status in the chamber. I determine that,” said Sen. George Furey.

Sen. Terry Mercer, a former party president, was blunt: “Mr. Trudeau removed me from the Liberal caucus. He didn’t remove me from the Liberal party.”

Confusion had followed Trudeau’s announcement Wednesday that he was ejecting 32 senators from the party caucus.

But four federal Liberal MPs today moved to clear up an ambiguity by seeking to remove all references to senators in the party’s constitution.