Ontario Tory MPPs suspended in HST protest

Friction over Ontario's harmonized sales tax sparked a rancorous scene at Queen's Park on Monday, prompting the Speaker to suspend two Progressive Conservative MPPs for the rest of the legislative session.

The fracas began after Tory MPP Bill Murdoch called Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty a liar for not holding provincewide public consultations on tax harmonization — just as his fellow opposition members Ted Chudleigh and Peter Shurman had done on Nov. 19.

Murdoch, who represents Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, refused to withdraw the comment, so Speaker Steve Peters ordered him removed from the legislature.

Members of the Conservative caucus then surrounded Murdoch and blocked the sergeant-at-arms, who was attempting to escort Murdoch out of the chamber.

Some Conservative MPPs then shouted and pounded their desks in unison in an attempt to drown out debate.

Peters then suspended both Murdoch and Randy Hillier, who was one of those who helped form the human shield around Murdoch, until the end of the session.

That means if they leave the legislature, they won't be able to return until a new session starts with a speech from the throne, which may be months away.

Both Hillier and Murdoch are prepared to stay all night in the legislature if that's what it takes to twist the government's arm, said Opposition House Leader Bob Runciman.

"They're camping out, if you will, for the whole evening," he said. "So until we get this resolved in a way that's acceptable to our caucus, then we intend to remain in the legislature."

The NDP said all three parties hammered out a compromise late Monday, but it was not immediately clear whether it would be enough for the Tories to abandon their sit-in.

The deal involves two more days of public hearings on the HST — a key demand by the Tories — and the Liberals will bring forward a motion Tuesday to "solidify" that, said an NDP spokesman.

1 hearing not enough, say Tories

The Tories' move comes after Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said the public will be able to comment Thursday on the province's plan to merge the eight per cent provincial sales tax with the five per cent federal GST.

He said it's something the Liberals have always done with budget-related legislation, and isn't a sop to the opposition parties who have been demanding public hearings on the HST plan for weeks.

But Runciman said the Liberals have only granted the public about five hours during Thursday's legislative committee hearing  to talk about the HST.

The Liberals offered another three or four hours of public hearings during a closed-door meeting Monday, but that's not enough, Runciman said. The Conservatives want "several more days" of hearings.

"We're looking for expanded public hearings, preferably in communities outside Toronto," he said.

"But I think it's clear they're closing off debate here, they're limiting the public hearings to about five hours in Toronto, and we know that there are hundreds — if not thousands — of people who want to appear before the committee."

'Good theatrics'

NDP House Leader Gilles Bisson said his party is also pressuring the government for more public hearings, but getting kicked out of the legislature isn't the answer.

"It's good theatrics, but at the end of the day it does nothing to slow down this bill," he said.

"What slows down this bill is public participation in trying to put some pressure on the government."

Monday also marked the first of what may be many late-night sittings in the legislature over the HST bill, which the Liberals are determined to pass before the Christmas break.

Like the Ontario plan, British Columbia will harmonize its PST with the GST next July 1, something Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have already done.