Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen, deputy government House leader, has sought a speaker’s ban on calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government “corrupt.”References to “corruption” in parliamentary debate date from 1867, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.Gerretsen questioned “whether or not the word ‘corrupt’ in reference to an individual or the government is appropriate.”“It has been done a number of times, referring to the prime minister as corrupt and to the government as corrupt,” Gerretsen told the House of Commons.He reasoned the motion would “further improve decorum here.”“If we are going to go down the road I am sure we could scour the record,” said Conservative MP Mike Lake.“We have latitude to engage in our democracy freely and passionately on behalf of our constituents,” said Lake. “I am concerned we are going down a road where we have way too many things we are not able to talk about freely.”Conservative MP Corey Tochor, former Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature, pointed out Trudeau’s previous “infractions” and said MPs must be able to speak the truth in parliament. “If you ask the Ethics Commissioner about all the infractions this prime minister has been charged and convicted with on corruption, you will find the truth to be this is a corrupt government and prime minister,” said Tochor.To date nine current and former members of the government caucus have been censured for breach of the Conflict Of Interest Act or its companion ethics code for MPs. In addition to Trudeau, federal officials censured include Speaker Greg Fergus, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Trade Minister Mary Ng, former finance minister Bill Morneau, and Liberal MPs James Maloney, Joe Peschisolido, Yasmin Ratansi and Anita Vandenbeld.Bloc Québécois MP Martin Champoux told the Commons he welcomed clear guidance on which adjectives were forbidden in debate. “We need to know our limits,” said Champoux.“Currently in recent months there has been a lack of clarity on the matter,” said Champoux. “When MPs step outside the line we should know it. I would encourage the speaker’s office to give us clearer guidelines.”On Wednesday, ArriveCan contractor Kristian Firth, managing partner of GC Strategies, was publicly censured for his involvement with the company that was paid $19.1 million amid numerous irregularities at the Canada Border Services Agency. Firth, who initially refused to testify before committee, was called to the bar of the House to answer for his deliberate perpetuation of the failed government border monitoring program. He was publicly shamed for contempt of parliament. Firth was the first federal contractor since 1913 to be summoned to the bar of the House.
