DiefenbakerΓÇÖs vehement opposition to the single maple leaf flag and the repetitious and increasingly pointless debate split his own caucus. With the opposition divided, PearsonΓÇÖs minority government felt strong enough to invoke closure to limit debate. Finally, in the early hours of the morning of 15 December, the House of Commons voted 163 to 78 to accept the Flag CommitteeΓÇÖs recommendation of the single red maple leaf flag as the national flag of Canada.
