(Ottawa) The committee which was responsible for determining an “appropriate corrective measure” against the Speaker of the House of Commons, Greg Fergus, for his virtual appearance at a partisan event recommends that the latter reimburse “an adequate amount” for the use resources associated with its function.
The New Democratic Party (NDP) had already indicated that it was advocating a financial penalty, an avenue which visibly pleased the Liberals sitting on the committee.
Since the beginning of this affair, the government has maintained its confidence in Mr. Fergus. On the procedure committee, the troops of Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh have more members than the Conservatives and Bloc members.
The Conservatives and Bloc members, who are calling for the resignation of Mr. Fergus, did not fail to express their dissent in the report presented Thursday in the House.
“To repair the tear in the fabric of our democratic institution, the President must resign. The recommendations proposed by the Liberal-NDP majority of the Procedure and House Affairs Committee are weak and meaningless,” the official opposition noted in the pages of the report.
The Bloc Québécois, which was the first political party in the Commons to demand that Mr. Fergus bow out, indicates that it “does not see how the establishment of a financial penalty can give its 32 deputies the assurance of ‘impartiality, discernment and unfailing judgment’.
What’s more, the Bloc insist on the number of elected officials who no longer support the president.
“It is inconceivable that, despite two opposition parties representing 149 MPs having withdrawn their confidence in the President through the voice of their respective leaders (Bloc Québécois and Conservative Party of Canada), he has demonstrated an unshakeable conviction in effect that he can remain in office and regain the confidence of the House. »
The House leader of the Liberals, Karina Gould, reiterated to journalists that she considers that Mr. Fergus “has learned his lesson”. She mentioned that he was new in his role, having succeeded Anthony Rota as Speaker of the House in October.
“We don’t feel it’s an offense [nécessitant une démission] “, she told reporters. She promised that the government would have a more elaborate position once it had read the report.
In addition to the monetary sanction recommendation, the majority of committee members recommended “that the House administration be responsible for preparing, as part of the briefing book, guidelines for any future Speaker of the House who presents limitations clear in matters of impartiality and non-partisanship.
We also want Mr. Fergus to issue a new apology “making clear that the filming of the video in his office and in his clothing was inappropriate, that he regrets the situation and that he provides a clear overview of what he and his office will do to ensure that this does not happen again.”