The Speaker tried to make a speech about decorum — did anyone hear it?
CBC
In his seventh day in the chair, the new Speaker of the House of Commons sought to address MPs on the topic of decorum in the chamber. Much disorder followed.
Greg Fergus, who was elected Speaker earlier this month, advised MPs on October 4 that he would be coming forward with "reflective guidelines" to foster civility in the House. He chose Wednesday afternoon, immediately before question period, to do so.
But before Fergus could begin his remarks, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was on his feet, apparently expecting to ask the first question of question period.
After a few awkward seconds, Poilievre attempted to ask his question, prompting Fergus to stop him and state that the Conservative leader would be able to ask his question once the Speaker was done speaking. But Poilievre stayed on his feet, prompting Fergus to seek advice from one of the House of Commons procedural clerks.
After conferring, Fergus tried again, assuring the House that there would be a full session of question period just as soon as he was done with his remarks. Some members, apparently from the government side, applauded. Fergus motioned for them to stop.
This prompted Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer, a former Speaker himself, to rise on a point of order. According to the rules of the House, Scheer said, question period is supposed to start promptly at 2:15 p.m. Conservatives stood to applaud.
Scheer's reading of the standing orders was correct, but as an experienced MP, he also knows that this rule is very loosely enforced and question period often begins sometime after 2:15 p.m. On Wednesday, had it not been for the Speaker's statement and the resulting brouhaha, question period would have begun at 2:21 p.m.
After conferring again with a clerk, Fergus told the House that the start of question period was within his discretion. Scheer tried again and this time accused the Speaker of breaking the rules. Fergus thanked Scheer for his intervention, restated his intent and then, over a chorus of heckling, attempted once more to begin his remarks.
Fergus made it only a few words into his remarks before Poilievre stood on a point of order.
Describing question period as "the sacred period during which we hold the government to account," Poilievre insisted that the time for questions is meant to commence promptly at 2:15 p.m. By then, it was 2:27 p.m.
The Speaker could have opted to deliver his statement after question period. That might have been more convenient for Canadians who wait with bated breath each day for the "sacred period" to begin.
But question period is both the most-watched portion of Parliament's daily proceedings and a national showcase for the incivility that Fergus meant to address. So there was a certain logic to his decision to use this particular time to make such a statement.
Poilievre claimed that this was the first time since he became an MP in 2004 that a Speaker had sought to make a statement before question period.
"I've never seen it," he said.
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