Just three days into a new session of Parliament, the minority Conservative government faces a showdown in the House of Commons Wednesday evening over a bid by one of its MPs to scrap the long-gun registry.
Opposition Leader Michael Ignatieff has whipped his caucus to vote down the effort, but there are doubts as to whether all his Liberals be there to vote.
NDP Leader Jack Layton is letting his team vote its conscience but has been pulling out all the stops to persuade rural New Democrats to fall in line behind his compromise position.
For opposition MPs - mostly from rural ridings - who previously backed the Tory private-member's bill, the consequences of changing their minds and protecting the registry could be dire.
In the end, the registry survived by the narrowest of margins: 153 MPs voted to save it, with 151 voting to scrap it.
The Globe's senior political writer, Jane Taber, and TV critic John Doyle provided live coverage of the parliamentary theatre and television punditry.
Review the vote in the panel below. Mobile users can click here for a BlackBerry and iPhone-friendly interface.