Conservative attacks on Speakers pattern of intimidation: Liberals, NDP
— The federal Liberals and NDP say conservative politicians are displaying a pattern of attacks against Speakers’ independence.
The accusation comes a day after the federal Conservatives tried, and failed, for the third time to get House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus to resign over allegations he is too partisan.
Their attempts are designed to intimidate and delay House work, government House leader Steven MacKinnon said.
“The fact is that this culture of intimidating the chair is something we have seen in other legislatures and I think Canadians are rightly horrified by it,” he said.
His NDP counterpart Peter Julian said there’s a “disturbing undercurrent” in Ottawa and in Saskatchewan by conservatives who are attacking independent institutions.
Julian drew a connection to Saskatchewan by linking Jeremy Harrison, former Saskatchewan Party House leader to federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. While Poilievre is undermining the Speaker in Ottawa, Harrison is doing the same in Regina, Julian charged. “It’s a pattern now,” he said. On May 16, Saskatchewan’s Speaker Randy Weekes accused several Saskatchewan Party members and staff, including Harrison, of intimidation, including sending him harassing text messages about his rulings. Weekes was elected as a Saskatchewan Party MLA.
Sebastian Skamski, a spokesperson for Poilievre, denied any attacks. “This is just another pathetic, desperate attempt by the coalition NDP to distract and play defence for Justin Trudeau and their Liberal masters.”