Although considered a backbencher, he was very active in Parliament, participating in several standing committees including primarily National Defence and Veterans Affairs; working to study and improve the poor quality of life for members of the Canadian Forces and their families.
They believed this favoured the Maniwaki area party members (most of whom supported Smith) because of the greater concentration in their numbers in conjunction with their polling location.
[citation needed] An article in The Hill Times[1] indicated that Robert Bertrand wished to run as a Liberal candidate in the upcoming federal election.
His original request to run was refused in March 2007 and the nomination was closed, giving the candidacy instead to Cindy Duncan-McMillan in order to "meet the party’s target of 33 per cent female candidates".
On April 4, Bertrand received a call from the current director of the Liberal Party of Canada in Quebec, Serge Marcil, telling him that the candidacy was re-opened; however, he was given an impossible deadline of one week to collect memberships and present himself as a candidate.