(Ottawa) The interim leader of the Conservative Party, Candice Bergen, removes the Conservative MPs from Quebec from her bodyguard.
Posted at 6:13 p.m.
Updated at 6:46 p.m.
Unilingual Anglophone, Mme Bergen did not see fit to maintain the member for the Quebec region, Gérard Deltell, in his duties as parliamentary leader in the House of Commons.
She also did not see fit to entrust parliamentary management duties to another MNA from Quebec. The Conservative Party has a total of ten deputies from La Belle Province.
Mme Bergen is already the target of fierce criticism for his remarks in support of the protesters who have occupied Parliament Hill for eight days. Some observers believe that she will not be able to act for long because of the growing controversy.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Acting Conservative Party Leader Candice Bergen
In a press release, Mr.me Bergen thus decided to entrust the position of House leader to Ontario MP John Brassard.
She named Calgary MP Tom Kmiec as Deputy House Leader and Co-Chair of Question Period Planning. Mr. Kmiec speaks French well.
Mme Bergen has retained the services of another Alberta MP, Blaine Calkins, for the position of whip. Ontario MP Lianne Rood, who also supported the protest convoy, will act as Blaine’s assistant.
“I would like to thank Gérard Deltell, Blake Richards, Michael Barrett and James Bezan for their hard work on the management team. I would also like to congratulate John Brassard, Tom Kmiec, Blaine Calkins and Lianne Rood on their new roles,” said Ms.me Bergen in a press release issued late Friday.
Very popular with his colleagues, MP Gérard Deltell served as House House Leader under former Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole. The latter was removed from office by the deputies following a vote on Wednesday (73-45).
Mr. Deltell did not respond to calls from La Presse on Friday evening. In a message on Facebook, Mr. Deltell affirmed that his successor speaks French and that he will be able to discharge his new functions. He said he remains “a proud conservative”.
A Conservative spokesperson specified that the member for Richmond—Arthabaska, Alain Rayes, remains the political lieutenant in Quebec and that he is thus part of the management team. “Only the changes have been announced. We cannot say that there are no Quebecers in the management team or the close guard of the chef, ”wrote this spokesperson in an email.
A race for the leadership of the Conservative Party will have to be launched in the coming weeks.