Tory MP Dancho ejected from Commons after accusing Liberal of lying

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This article was published 08/12/2022 (1089 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Manitoba Tory MP was ejected Thursday from the House of Commons, after refusing to apologize for calling a Liberal MP a liar over the government’s controversial gun control legislation.

Kildonan—St. Paul MP Raquel Dancho was forced to leave the House, and not sit in any committee meetings in person or virtual for the rest of the day, after she declining Speaker Anthony Rota’s request she apologize for yelling out “You’re lying” while Ontario Liberal MP Vance Badawey was speaking.

“I was removed from the House of Commons for telling the truth,” Dancho told reporters outside the chamber. “To hear a Liberal accusing us of being the problem, insinuating that we’re obstructionists, is the most hypocritical thing I have heard in the three years that I have been elected as a member of Parliament.

“The most popular piece of feedback we get from our constituents is that the Liberal government does not answer questions, that they don’t tell the truth. And so, today, we had enough of it and I called them out for lying, which they did lie,” Dancho said.

“And I will say it again out here: that they lied today in the House of Commons.”

Bill C-21 was designed initially to ban handguns, but has since been expanded to include a ban on a list of long guns.

In response to criticism, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier this week the bill is being reviewed to ensure it does not target hunting rifles or shotguns.

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation and Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association say they are opposed to the bill.

On Thursday, during question period, Badawey, parliamentary secretary for Indigenous services, was talking about Bill C-21, saying: “The premise behind this is to work together. To work together with the Bloc (Québécois) and the NDP. Unfortunately, the Conservatives, Mr. Speaker, are continuing to be part of the problem instead of being part of the solution.

“Mr. Speaker, the mission here is to get guns off the street….”

Badawey stopped talking when the Speaker halted proceedings after Dancho’s outburst.

After a few minutes, when Dancho said nothing after Rota asked her again to apologize, the Speaker said he had no other choice but to expel her for the day.

Conservative MPs broke into applause as she walked out.

Dancho later told reporters the Conservative party has tried several times to weigh in on the gun control debate, but the Liberals and Bloc Québécois have prevented it from doing so at the public safety committee level. She said the Tory party wasn’t even told two extra committee meetings are being added to hear from Indigenous people and hunters.

“This is carried out in light of the Liberal government bringing forward the most underhanded amendment in the most underhanded way… Millions of hunters will be impacted by what they have done, and they brought it forward at the 11th hour in the most sneaky and underhanded way.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca