(Ottawa) Conservatives are once again calling for the resignation of Greg Fergus. The Speaker of the House of Commons, who must be neutral, was soon to participate in a partisan evening announced on the website of the Liberal Party of Canada (PLC). The invitation which portrayed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in a negative light has since been modified.
“It has simply become impossible to distinguish between Speaker Greg Fergus and Liberal Greg Fergus,” Alberta Conservative MP Chris Warkentin wrote to him on Tuesday. “Every decision you make – and in hindsight every decision you made – will be presumed to be tinged with red,” he added.
This activity intended for liberal activists was to take place on the evening of June 4 in the riding of Hull-Aylmer, the one held by Mr. Fergus. The few paragraphs inviting people to participate point the finger at the PLC’s main political opponent.
“While Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives propose reckless policies that would put our health, our safety and our wallets at risk, our Liberal team is working to make life more affordable for Canadians and move forward with our plan to develop an economy that works for everyone, protects our environment, keeps our communities safe and much more,” reads the screenshot taken by the Conservatives.
The paragraph was removed and replaced with an invitation to “enjoy a summer kick-off barbecue in good spirits, with refreshing drinks and appetizing dishes.” »
Corrections have been made, confirmed a PLC spokesperson, Matteo Rossi. “The text that appeared on the event page is the standard content that is auto-populated to announce events published on our website,” he explained by email. A communication problem between the party and Mr. Fergus’ riding association resulted in incorrect text being posted on the website. »
He recalled that Mr. Fergus remains the MP for Hull-Aylmer, in Outaouais, and that it is “very common” for elected officials to organize summer events to thank their supporters and volunteers.
The fact remains that the Speaker of the House of Commons is not making his first misstep since he has arbitrated parliamentary proceedings. Calls for his resignation were also made by the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois in December after the broadcast of a video tribute to mark the departure of John Fraser as head of the Ontario Liberal Party during the leadership convention party. He appeared there dressed in the garb of the Speaker of the House of Commons.
The matter was referred to the chamber’s Office of Internal Economy, which imposed a fine of $1,500.
Mr Fergus was elected speaker of the House of Commons in October following the resignation of Anthony Rota after the ovation given to a former Nazi fighter during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.