Details continue to emerge on the historic accord. At this moment it appears the coalition cabinet will consist of:

• The accord will last unless amended until June 2011, a 2 1/2 year agreement
• Dion to lead the coalition government as Prime Minister until his replacement is elected
• 24 members in cabinet plus the Prime Minister
• 18 Liberals in cabinet
• 6 New Democrats take on cabinet positions
• 6 New Democrats to be assigned parliamentary secretary roles
• The Liberal and NDP caucuses will sit side by side in the house but meet as separate caucuses as normal course, although nothing prevents joint caucus meetings
• Cabinet will of course always meet jointly and the importance of cabinet solidarity is explicitly recognized in the accord
• Dion will consult with Layton on cabinet appointments of NDP members
• Specifically stated, the Finance Minister will be a Liberal appointment
• Three Liberal leadership candidates expected to receive cabinet appointments

Liberal Member of Parliament John McCallum (former Chief Economist of the Royal Bank of Canada, and a former cabinet minister holding various portfolios ranging from Defence to Natural Resources) commented:

Any new government will first and foremost focus on the importance of business confidence; I am sure you will agree that condition will have been satisfied.