Live from the House of Commons Rotunda word from Liberal MPs emerging from this morning's caucus meeting is that Stephane Dion will lead a coalition government and that their caucus has united behind the agreement which has been placed before the other parties' caucuses which will form the coalition. We can assume all opposition parties have ratified this agreement internally.

The three party leaders - Liberal, NDP, Bloc - will hold a news conference later today to discuss this history-making turn of events. Not since the King-Byng affair of 1926 will the spotlight on the Governor General of Canada have been so intensely focussed.

The two key issues facing this coalition before they can form government?

1. Assuming the government is brought down by a vote of non-confidence, will the Governor General approve of the coalition?
2. Will the current government attempt to prorogue (cancel the current session) parliament, and, if asked to, will the Governor General accede to this request? The Governor General must sign off on any such request.

Assuming the coalition forms government, there will of course be many more issues to deal with and overcome, but in the interim we can recognize simply that this is history making stuff.

Question period, coming up in a few minutes, ought to be particularly boisterous.