The Conservatives are calling on the House of Commons to vote to remove Speaker Greg Fergus from office because an advertisement for an event in his constituency contained party political statements.
Conservative MP Chris Warkentin tabled a motion on Monday afternoon which, if passed, would hold Fergus in contempt of Parliament and declare the Speaker’s post vacant.
“This speaker has proven countless times that he is not fit to be a bipartisan speaker,” Warkentin said in the House chamber.
“He is a very, very influential partisan liberal and … we have lost confidence in his ability to govern this country.”
Conservative MP Chris Warkentin stands during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, May 4, 2023. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
Warkentin made the motion after Deputy Speaker Chris d’Entremont ruled that the use of party political language in the ad of a at first glance Question of the privileges of the members of parliament.
The online post, “A Summer’s Evening with the Honorable Greg Fergus,” included a line targeting Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, accusing him of pursuing Conservative policies “that would put our health, safety and our wallets at risk” and promoting a Liberal plan to “build an economy that works for everyone.”
The Liberal Party apologized to Fergus in a letter last week, explaining that the language used on the events page was the auto-filled, standardized language the party uses for events on its website.
The wording was published without Fergus’ knowledge and “as a result of miscommunication between the party and the constituency association,” said the letter from Azam Ishmael, the party’s national director.
“The Liberal Party apologises unreservedly for this error and we take full responsibility.”
Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux accused the Conservatives of launching a partisan attack on Fergus.
“They were constantly targeting this speaker,” he said in the House of Representatives.
The Speaker presides over the business of the House of Commons and is intended to act as an impartial arbiter of the proceedings of the House. Although the Speaker is elected as a member of a party, his role is considered non-partisan – no Speaker sits in a parliamentary group.
Motion unlikely to pass without NDP support
This is not the first time that the impartiality of Fergus, who was elected chairman in October, has been questioned by MPs.
Fergus initially lost the support of Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs when he, wearing the speaker’s robes, recorded a video in honour of outgoing Ontario Liberal Party leader John Fraser.
Last autumn, he also took part in a fundraising event in his constituency, which was announced as a “cocktail event” for Liberal supporters.
Fergus kept his post after the NDP supported him during the dispute over the video, apologized, and paid a fine for violating House of Commons rules that prohibit the use of parliamentary resources for partisan political purposes.
Last week, NDP MP Peter Julian said Fergus had acted appropriately in this latest case by having the event approved by the clerk before proposing to host it.
An NDP spokesperson told CBC News the party’s position has not changed in light of d’Entremont’s decision.
MP Lindsay Mathyssen accused the Conservatives on Monday of trying to delay votes on bills.
“Has a mistake been made here? Absolutely. Is it terribly unfortunate? Absolutely. Are we punishing the right person in this case? No,” she said.
