According to the National Post, “With the votes even at 152-152, it took Speaker Peter Milliken’s tie-breaking ballot to give the result to the Liberals — the first time in history the Speaker had to decide a confidence vote.” This followed “a week of intrigue and drama on Parliament Hill leading up to the vote: There were secretly taped meetings and accusations that plum patronage jobs were being bartered in exchange for crucial votes; a sick Liberal MP was rushed out of Question Period to hospital; and the breakup of Ottawa’s most glamourous power couple that left Tory Deputy Leader Peter MacKay heart-broken when Belinda Stronach left him to cross the floor and join the Liberals.”