Constitutional expert Deborah Coyne, who helped scuttle the Meech Lake accord in 1990, may run for the Liberals in the next federal election.

Coyne said people have been encouraging her to run. If you sit on the sidelines, she told a reporter this week, "you get the government you deserve."

As well as being an author and a lawyer, Coyne is the mother of former Liberal prime minister Pierre Trudeau's only daughter, 14-year-old Sarah.

Deborah Coyne and her daughter Sarah at Pierre Elliott Trudeau's funeral in Montreal, October 3, 2000. (CP photo)

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Coyne lives in Ottawa and could try for the nomination in one of two ridings, including the Ottawa West-Nepean riding of retiring Liberal MP Marlene Catterall.

The other would be Nepean-Carleton, the riding then defence minister David Pratt lost to Conservative challenger Pierre Poilievre in last year's election.

A federal election campaign could be triggered as early as Thursday, when two key budget votes are scheduled in the House of Commons.

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Coyne is regarded as an ardent advocate of a strong national government. She was a key adviser to former Newfoundland premier Clyde Wells when he helped sink the Meech Lake accord. The constitutional deal, brokered by former prime minister Brian Mulroney, would have given Quebec the status of a distinct society within Canada.

That could put her at odds with Prime Minister Paul Martin, who has advocated asymmetrical federalism when it comes to dealing with Quebec, Alberta and other provinces.

Coyne is the cousin of conservative commentator Andrew Coyne and the niece of former Bank of Canada governor James Coyne.