“When will we put an end to this wacko policy by this wacko Prime Minister?,” This comment from Canada’s Leader of Opposition aimed at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau created quite a stir in Parliament.
What’s more, Pierre Poilievre, who is from the Conservative Party, refused to yield when the Speaker intervened, asking him to withdraw his comment.
Greg Fergus, the Speaker who is from the Liberal Party asked Poilievre not once or twice, but four times to withdraw his comment, saying it was unparliamentary and unacceptable. But every time Poilievre said he was willing to replace the term ‘wacko’ with ‘extremist’ or ‘radical’.
The leader of the Opposition from the Conservative Party was criticising what he called Trudeau’s refusal to crack down on drug overdose.
The interaction that followed, went something like this (not verbatim, edited for brevity):
Speaker: I’m going to ask the honourable member to withdraw that comment as it was both unparliamentary and unacceptable
Poilievre: I’m going to replace wacko with extremist
Speaker: Please withdraw that comment and simply withdraw that comment. Poilievre: I’ll replace it with radical no, just policy. That’s his policy.
Speaker: I’m not asking you to replace. I’m asking the honourable member to just simply withdraw.
Poilievre: Mr. Speaker, I replace the word wacko with extremist.
The Speaker wasn’t impressed and then decided to evict the Leader of Opposition for the rest of the day’s proceedings. Speaker Greg Fergus said, “Mr Poilievre, I have to name you for disregarding the authority of the chair. Pursuant to the authority granted to me by standing Order 11, I order you to withdraw from the House or from any participation by judicial process for the remainder of this day’s sitting.”
Evictions from Parliament are uncommon in Canada. The Speaker’s decision was met with boos and many opposition MPs followed Poilievre as he left the House.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wasted no time in attacking his opponent. “Mr. Speaker, the leader opposite is showing us exactly what shameful, spineless leadership looks like,” said the Prime Minister, “He shakes hands with white nationalists to actively court the support of those members and has the nerve…”
Pierre Poilievre, Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have been bitter rivals and are likely to go head-to-head in the general elections next year. Poilievre’s Conservative Party currently is miles ahead in opinion polls. Trudeau’s Liberal party has been in power since 2015.
