Good question, it would but on paper, it wouldn't change much. It's only 1 seat and with Cadman who can swing both ways, there is no certainty how he would vote during a non-confidence vote. It is possible that O'Brien will demand significant concessions on the issue of Bill-38 as a bargain chip for his support to any non-confidence vote for Paul Martin. I doubt Mr. O'Brien would state that openly, at least not yet. Until there is another non-confidence on the horizon, he will remain behind the scene, trying to negotiate favors from Paul Martin. Right now, by sitting as an independent, he is merely posturing himself for that eventually. However, if Bill C-38 is passed before a non-confidence vote can be brought up by the opposition, then O'Brien might have just digged its own grave by making the Government more determined than ever to pass C-38. Right now, nobody has the stomach for a non-confidence vote - the Conservatives are in the middle of Grewal's stupid tape scandal (alledgedly doctored the tape and G&M reported today that he might even have fixed the placement of certain sentences to make Tim Murphy looking as though he is coaching Grewal). The Bloc may lose their leader very soon to Quebec City and there is no strong alternative to Duceppe in Ottawa for the Bloc. The NDP wants C-38 passed and they want the budget passed, both of which are NDP priorities. Martin wants to get C-38 over ASAP so that this issue won't drag to Fall. All of which suggest O'Brien's action today is unwise. He will only accelerate the Government's push to get C-38 through.