Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion has expelled former cabinet minister Joe Comuzzi from the party's caucus because he plans to support the Conservative government's budget.

"He's not anymore part of the caucus," Dion said Wednesday after a caucus meeting. He said he had spoken with the Thunder Bay, Ont., MP who confirmed he would vote for the budget.

Joe Comuzzi, right, talks with Paul Martin in 2004. Comuzzi later resigned from Martin's cabinet over the Liberals' same-sex marriage bill.
(Johnathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

Dion said it was parliamentary tradition for MPs to follow party line on confidence votes such as budgets.

"A vote on the budget, like a vote on a throne speech, is a vote of confidence. You cannot vote against the caucus on it."

"He's well aware, after 19 years in the House, of the consequences of what he's doing," Dion said.

Comuzzi had told a local newspaper that he's supporting the budget because it contains funding for a molecular cancer research centre that employs 300 people in his riding.

Comuzzi, 73, will now sit as an Independent, leaving the Liberals with 100 MPs, the Conservatives with 125, the Bloc Québécois with 50 and the New Democrats with 29. There is one other Independent MP and two seats are vacant.

The Liberals and NDP have indicated they will vote against the budget, released Monday.

However, the budget will likely pass — thus avoiding the triggering of an election — because the Bloc has indicated it will back Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's fiscal plan.

Comuzzi is not planning to run in the next election. The start of question period in the House of Commons was momentarily delayed Wednesday as Conservative MPs chanted: "We want Joe, we want Joe."

This decision to support the budget was not the first time Comuzzi has taken an open stand against his party.

Two years ago, under the government of then prime minister Paul Martin, he resigned from cabinet over the Liberals' same-sex marriage bill.

With files from the Canadian Press