House Speaker Greg Fergus is calling on MPs to improve their behaviour after last Thursday’s question period went off the rails.
Tensions flared between NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre last week. At one point, Singh walked into the aisle in the House of Commons chamber to yell at the Conservative leader.
On Monday, Fergus reminded MPs that they’re in the House to represent their constituents.
“The last time I was in this chair, there were a number of questions which were not relevant to the administration of government. There were words which fall outside of what is acceptable in the parliamentary system and there was behaviour which was also outside the parliamentary tradition,” Fergus told MPs before Monday’s question period.
“I hope that members will conduct themselves in a manner that is befitting of our constituents who have sent us here to represent them.”
House Speaker Greg Fergus tells MPs the language and behaviour the House of Commons saw during question period Thursday was ‘outside of the parliamentary tradition.’ Fergus says he hopes to have more to say ‘in the coming days.’
Poilievre kicked off last Thursday’s question period by criticizing the NDP and Bloc Québécois and asking why the two parties wouldn’t support a Conservative motion to bring down the Liberal government.
Questions in question period are meant to be directed toward the government, according to House procedures. After Poilievre’s first two questions were directed at the Bloc, ministers stopped rising to respond.
Fergus pointed out a number of times that questions are meant to be directed toward the government, but was forced to return to Poilievre for more questions. He called the situation “uncomfortable.”
During his fifth question, Poilievre accused Singh of backing out of his party’s governing agreement with the Liberals in an effort to hold a seat in a Winnipeg byelection earlier that week.
“Once the votes were counted, he betrayed them,” Poilievre said, accusing the NDP leader of propping up the Liberals in order to secure his MP pension.
“He is a fake, a phony and a fraud. How can anyone ever believe what this sell-out NDP leader says in the future?”
During question period Thursday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre directed two questions in a row to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh instead of the governing Liberals. The questions prompted Singh to leave his seat to shout at Poilievre. Singh isn’t visible on the House of Commons cameras, but Poilievre can be seen shouting in Singh’s direction in return. House Speaker Greg Fergus restored order and said MPs need to ‘work within the rules.’
Singh stood up as Poilievre was asking his question and began yelling at the Conservative leader, according to witnesses.
Once Poilievre sat down, the House erupted in angry crosstalk between the Conservative and NDP benches.
Singh left his seat and walked into the aisle to shout at Poilievre. Two MPs who were in the House told CBC News that Singh said, “I’m right here, bro,” while another said they heard the NDP leader say, “I’m right here.”
As Fergus tried to restore order, Poilievre could be seen on camera pointing in Singh’s direction and repeatedly saying, “Do it.”
After the exchange, Fergus asked the MPs to respect the long-standing traditions of the House but did not ask anyone to withdraw their comments or apologize.
While Monday’s question period was much more reserved, a few Conservatives shouted “bro” when Singh got up to ask his first question. Fergus interrupted Singh to ask MPs not to interrupt the person who has the floor.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and NDP House leader Peter Julian told the Canadian Press that they’re calling on Fergus to do more to rein in the antics that they say have degraded decorum in the House of Commons.
“The Speaker has lots of powers that can be used to keep decorum, and they’re not used,” May said.
Following Monday’s question period, Bloc MP Claude DeBellefeuille put forward a motion calling on the House to affirm that “violence and threats have no place in Parliament.”
“[MPs should] behave in a civil and respectful manner toward their colleagues in order to allow for truly constructive debate,” DeBellefeuille said in French. Her motion passed with unanimous consent.