Liberal Party apologizes to Speaker after controversy erupts over partisan event posting
John Paul Tasker | CBC News | Posted: May 21, 2024 2:38 PM | Last Updated: May 22
Conservatives call on Greg Fergus to resign as Speaker over anti-Conservative language in ad
The Liberal Party of Canada has apologized to Speaker Greg Fergus after partisan language appeared in an ad for an upcoming event in his riding.
The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois are again calling for Fergus to resign from his position as a neutral arbiter of House of Commons proceedings over the ad.
The Liberal Party apologized to Fergus in a letter Tuesday afternoon, saying the language posted on the event page was the auto-populated, standardized language the party uses for events on its website.
The language was posted without Fergus's knowledge and "as a result of a miscommunication between the Party and the riding association," said the letter from Azam Ishmael, the party's national director.
"The Liberal Party unequivocally apologizes to you for this mistake, and we take full responsibility."
WATCH | Conservatives, Bloc Québécois call on House Speaker Greg Fergus to resign, again:
In a lengthy letter sent to Fergus on Tuesday, Conservative MP Chris Warkentin said the online posting for "A Summer Evening with the Honourable Greg Fergus" included a line that took aim at leader Pierre Poilievre — accusing him of pursuing Conservative policies "that would risk our health, safety and pocketbooks" while promoting a Liberal plan to "grow an economy that works for everyone."
The ad for the planned June event used "very partisan, inflammatory language," the Alberta MP said.
Warkentin's letter earlier Tuesday added that the event was being promoted "by attacking the very same leader whom you recently used your authority to kick out of the House of Commons, allegedly for his choice of wording."
That's a reference to Fergus's decision to remove Poilievre from the Commons last month after he refused to retract a comment calling the prime minister and his policies "wacko." Warkentin said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also used tough language to describe Poilievre but faced no sanction.
Speaking to reporters in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Trudeau said the incident does not shake his faith in Fergus's ability to do the job.
"I have full confidence in Greg Fergus as Speaker of the House of Commons, as a thoughtful, independent-minded leader," he said. "The issue was dealt with, was addressed by the party and the House leader. It was an unfortunate mistake."
'You must go,' Conservative MP says
The ad for the event has been pulled from the Liberal Party website but the Conservatives took a screenshot before its removal and disseminated it to the press on Tuesday morning.
Warkentin said the Speaker, as referee of the Commons, should be impartial at all times to sustain the confidence of MPs.
"You have failed at showing, and being seen to show, the impartially required of a Speaker; in turn you can no longer count on the trust and goodwill of members from all corners of this House," he wrote in his letter.
"I regret to say you must go," Warkentin wrote, saying anything Fergus does in the Commons going forward will have a "red tint."
If Fergus does not do the "honourable thing" and immediately resign, the Conservatives will press for his removal, the letter said.
WATCH | Conservative MP calls on House Speaker to resign over partisanship concerns:
This is just the latest instance of opposition MPs claiming Fergus has been too partisan for an office that historically has kept a healthy distance from party politics.
Fergus has already apologized and been fined for taping a tribute video for a provincial Liberal leader while wearing his robes in the Speaker's office. He also held a fundraiser in his riding last fall.
Despite those past transgressions and this latest incident, Liberals and New Democrats rallied around Fergus on Tuesday.
His position seems secure, at least for now, despite the vehement opposition of Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the government continues to have confidence in Fergus's ability to serve in the role. Government House Leader Steve MacKinnon said he was standing by Fergus.
NDP MP Peter Julian, the party's House leader, said Fergus behaved appropriately in this case by having the event cleared by the Clerk before proposing to host it.
Julian blamed the Liberal Party for posting a message with partisan language.
"The Liberal Party of Canada owes an apology to the Speaker," Julian said, adding the party brass has shown "profound disrespect by publishing that without the authorization of the Speaker, without the knowledge of the Speaker."
The Liberal Party apology came shortly after Julian made those comments.
Julian said Fergus is being targeted by the Conservatives because he appropriately removed Poilievre from the House over the "wacko" incident.
WATCH | Liberal Party owes Speaker apology over posting with partisan language, NDP MP says:
Speaking later in the Commons, Warkentin stood on a question of privilege and laid out his case for why Fergus should either resign or be forced out in a 30-minute address.
Bloc MP Alain Therrien, the party's House leader, agreed that Fergus should go.
"Neutrality and good judgment — those are the basis of a good Speaker," Therrien said in French.
"The actor chosen for the role is the wrong one. We feel he does not belong in that position. We asked him to remain neutral, he said he would and now he's back at it.
"He should resign. What more would it take for the Liberals and the NDP to finally say, 'Enough is enough.'"
Language 'being corrected'
A Liberal Party spokesperson said the event in question was a "free event put on by Mr. Fergus's riding association."
"The language that was on the event page is the auto-populated, standard language for events on our website," Parker Lund told CBC News.
"There was a miscommunication between the party and Mr. Fergus's riding association, which led to the wrong text being put on the website. That is now being corrected."
Lund said it was "very common" for MPs to hold summer events to "thank and show their appreciation to local supporters and volunteers."
A spokesperson for Fergus said the Speaker's riding association organized the event and it "did not know the event was posted on the party's website."
He said the text of the ad for the event was "a generic text produced by the party and it had not been approved by Mr. Fergus's team."
"As there is a question of privilege before the House on this matter, we will not be commenting any further," said Mathieu Gravel, the spokesperson.
The ad for the event was later reposted on the Liberal Party website with the partisan elements stripped out.
"It has been too long since I have had the opportunity to see you, and we must change this!" Fergus is quoted as saying the post for an event billed as a "fun-filled summer kick-off BBQ."
Fergus's past raised questions
Fergus initially lost the support of Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs when he taped a video tribute to outgoing Ontario Liberal leader John Fraser while wearing the Speaker's robes.
He also participated in a fundraising event in his riding last fall, something billed as a "cocktail militant" for Liberal supporters.
Fergus held onto his job after the NDP backed him during the fracas over the video. He apologized and paid a fine for breaking Commons rules that forbid the use of parliamentary resources for partisan purposes.
WATCH | Conservatives say Speaker has crossed a partisan line:
Some MPs have questioned Fergus's fitness to serve in this sort of role from the beginning of his tenure last year, given much of his past career was very partisan in nature.
He served as president of the Young Liberals of Canada in the 1990s.
In 2007, former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion named him national director — the most senior role in the party's organizational hierarchy.
In that position, he helped prepare the party for an election through fundraising and get-out-the-vote mobilization.
Fergus, first elected in 2015, served as Trudeau's parliamentary secretary — a testament to the close relationship he enjoys with the head of government.
Like some other Liberal MPs, Fergus has been known to filibuster Commons committee hearings on various government mishaps, such as the hearings on the WE Charity scandal.