(Ottawa) Members of the Commons voted Tuesday to leave Greg Fergus as Speaker of the House, almost two months after the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois called for his resignation.
Mr. Fergus recorded a video in which he paid tribute to the outgoing interim leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, broadcast at a partisan event in December.
In the video, recorded in his office, Mr. Fergus wore his black Speaker of the House robe. Opposition deputies considered that this video called into question its duty of impartiality in the House.
The Procedure and House Affairs Committee studied the issue before the holiday break. Liberal and NDP MPs on that committee recommended that Mr. Fergus remain in office, apologize and reimburse Parliament for using House resources to make the video.
But the Conservatives have since tried to send the issue back to committee. They claimed to have learned that Mr. Fergus had engaged in other partisan activities as Speaker of the House.
This proposed amendment was rejected in the Commons on Tuesday.
During his testimony before the committee in December, Mr. Fergus maintained that he did not know that the video was to be broadcast at a public event of the Ontario Liberal Party. He also apologized to MPs and asked for a second chance, pleading error of judgment.
The New Democratic Party has warned that Mr. Fergus will not receive another reprieve if a similar situation occurs again.
The Procedure and House Affairs Committee also called for the development of clear guidelines for presidents on the impartiality of their role.
The House clerk had earlier admitted that very little information was available in the standard “instruction manual” for new Speakers.