Post-leadership Stéphane Dion

dion speaks @ carleton university on 27 october 2009.

ignatieff appointed smaller shadow cabinet after being named interim leader , did not give dion critic role within it. on course of ignatieff s time leader dion stayed out of limelight, working quietly in riding , expressing views privately ignatieff.

in september 2009, reported denis coderre, ignatieff s quebec lieutenant, attempting oust dion , fellow montreal-area mps raymonde folco, lise zarac, , bernard patry next election, hope of replacing them star candidates. however, coderre ended resigning quebec lieutenant during time on conflicting views ignatieff , inner circle.

an 25 october 2009, poll suggested ignatieff had lower popularity dion @ worst showing liberal leader. month later dion s wife janine krieber wrote scathing letter on facebook page in suggested liberal party in full collapse , future appeared bleak. questioned ignatieff s ability lead party out of current woes, alleging party members duped ignatieff , have recognized obvious shortcomings if d taken time read academic writings. krieber claimed dion working rebuild party after disappointing 2008 election, efforts stymied ignatieff, turned down coalition other opposition parties, , dethroned dion without leadership race . dion said have no involvement in criticism letter , later asked kreiber remove facebook post, talks of deep divisions in liberal party.

2011 federal election

the liberal party fell third place on 2 may 2011, in federal election first time in canadian history. party won 19 per cent of popular vote, down 26 per cent party won under dion, , elected 34 mps. new democratic party formed official opposition, result of surge in support in quebec. dion 1 of 7 liberal mps re-elected in home province, won 43.43 per cent of popular in riding highest vote share liberal in quebec.

following re-election in may 2011, dion had more prominent role within liberal caucus had after resignation leader in 2008. interim liberal leader bob rae appointed dion liberals critic intergovernmental affairs , spokesman la francophonie. month after election dion attended ndp s federal convention observer liberal party, @ time called on ndp leader not appease separatists way maintain party s support in quebec. criticized ndps policy 50-per-cent-plus-one in referendum justify quebec separating canada.

2015 federal election

dion campaigned outside riding of 2015 federal election, visiting areas such sudbury, ontario support local candidates , attack conservative government s record on environment , healthcare. 2015 election resounding victory justin trudeau s liberal party, , dion comfortably re-elected eighth term representing newly reformulated saint-laurent riding.