Denis Coderre was the defense critic for the Liberal Party.  But Stephane Dion has put an end to that:

Meanwhile, Liberal MP Denis Coderre has been demoted from his position as defence critic in a move seen as a bid by Dion to restore discipline in his party's caucus.

Coderre is being shuffled to the position of heritage critic, a portfolio with a lower profile. He has been replaced by Bryon Wilfert, an early first supporter of Dion's bid for the party leadership and someone seen as loyal to the leader.

CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife said Monday that Dion was trying to take control of his caucus, believing he's being undermined by people like Coderre and Ignatieff.

So why this move and why now?

Take Robert Fife at his word -- if he has heard that this is about discipline, then I believe him.

I think this is a move to isolate Michael Ignatieff.  Stephane Dion might be trying to send a strong message to other caucus members: Be seen to be too close to Michael Ignatieff, and you'll be sidelined in Bob Rae's Liberal Party.

Bob Rae?

Well, that's where the timing comes in.  There have been other opportunities to get rid of Denis Coderre.  I was surprised that Coderre retained his position during the Afghanistan debate.  Stephane Dion explained the Liberal position in the compromise with the Conservatives, and Denis Coderre quite clearly contradicted Dion.

But Coderre remained defense critic.

This week, though, saw Bob Rae take his seat in parliament.  Denis Coderre, one of Michael Ignatieff's key supporters, is dumped.  Bryon Wilfert takes Coderre's place.

Wilfert is one of Dion's core supporters.  But more than that, Wilfert, as associate foreign affairs critic, has been Bob Rae's voice in parliament while Rae waited for Toronto Centre by-election to happen.  Wilfert's reward for helping Bob Rae is to be handed a plum position formerly handled by one of Ignatieff's soldiers.

Discipline?  That's part of it.  But is is also a clear tilt towards Bob Rae.

Now we wait to see what Michael Ignatieff is going to do.  Or to be more precise, what he is going to do when his other soldiers come to him demanding to know what he's going to do to protect them from Stephane Dion and Bob Rae.

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