Tory MP Michael Chong's bid to boost caucus power hits the House floor

Nearly six months after launching his backbench bid to rebalance the power dynamics between MPs and party leaders, Conservative MP Michael Chong finally got the chance to make his case on the floor of the House of Commons when he kicked off the first round of debate on Tuesday night.

Dubbed the 'democratic reform act' by its author, Chong's bill would allow MPs to trigger caucus-wide votes on the expulsion and admittance of caucus members, which is currently decided by the party leadership, and even trigger a formal leadership review — provided, that is, that they can garner the written support of at least 20 per cent of their colleagues.

It would also give party-elected provincial officers more control over the nomination process, and strip party leaders of the ability to veto prospective candidates.

The bill is slated to undergo another hour of debate before being put to a vote, which likely won't take place before MPs head home for the summer