Message to politicians: focus on the job

Opinion

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This article was published 02/05/2024 (523 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

IT was not the finest hour in the House of Commons.

Tuesday’s question period wound up with two parliamentarians being thrown out for bad behaviour (one of them Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre) and the entire Conservative caucus walking out.

It was a day of cheap shots from both the Liberal side and the Conservatives, and, frankly, many of the talking points looked planned in advance from all sides.

It’s pretty obvious Poilievre was angling to be thrown out. (Another Conservative MP had been thrown out minutes earlier for saying the Speaker of the House of Commons was “acting in a disgraceful manner.”)

Here’s the whole exchange, starting with a question from Poilievre about the effect of the decriminalization of hard drugs in British Columbia.

Poilievre: “When will we put an end to this wacko policy by the wacko prime minister?”

The Speaker: “No, that is not acceptable. There are a couple of things going on here today that are not acceptable. I would ask all members to please control themselves. I am going to ask two things. The first is that the honourable leader of the Opposition withdraw that term, which is not considered parliamentary.”

Poilievre: “Mr. Speaker, I replace ‘wacko’ with ‘extremist’. The prime minister is an…”

The Speaker: “I am going to ask the leader of the opposition once again to simply withdraw that comment, please.”

Poilievre: “Mr. Speaker, I will replace it with ‘radical’. That is the prime minister’s policy.

The Speaker: “No, I am not asking that it be replaced; I am asking the honourable member to simply withdraw it.”

Poilievre: “Mr. Speaker, I replace the word ‘wacko’ with ‘extremist.’”

The Speaker: “I am going to ask the honourable leader of the Opposition one last time to simply withdraw that comment, please.”

Poilievre: “Mr. Speaker, I simply withdraw it and replace it with the aforementioned adjective.”

The Speaker: “Mr. Poilievre, I have to name you for disregarding the authority of the chair. Pursuant to the authority granted to me by Standing Order 11, I order you to withdraw from the House and from any participation by video conference for the remainder of this day’s sitting.”

After that, the Conservative caucus walked out of the chamber.

Poilievre has been a parliamentarian for virtually his entire adult life. He knew exactly what he was doing, and where it would lead. Apparently, his party did, too, because it launched an electoral fundraising campaign based on the expulsion about an hour later.

That being said, the Liberals weren’t having a shiny parliamentary moment, either. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was dodging the opposition’s questions, preferring to attack Poilievre for meeting with carbon tax protesters in Atlantic Canada and saying Poilievre displays what “shameful, spineless leadership looks like. He shakes hands with white nationalists…” And the Liberals also launched an online campaign.

You could almost hear the party backrooms high-fiving each other for the politicians sticking to their prearranged scripts.

It’s exhausting.

Sadly, it’s something that’s being copied in many provincial legislatures.

Canadians are facing an array of serious issues, from the impact of inflation, to joint crises involving opioids and housing. The health-care system is in trouble in many provinces.

It’s boorish to stand around trying to gain political points while Canadians suffer.

Governments can govern, and opposition parties can oppose, without turning the House of Commons — or provincial legislators into the House of Constant Cheap Shots.

Here’s a simple request for Canada’s politicians: sit down and listen to your performances, and ask yourselves if you’re proud of what you’re doing.

We deserve a higher standard.