MPs are not allowed to call Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a terrorist even if the word appears in constituency mail being read aloud in the Commons, ruled the House Speaker. Reciting letters with rough language was no excuse for breaching decorum, MPs were told, per Blacklock’s Reporter. “Members cannot do indirectly what they do not have the right to do directly,” ruled Assistant Deputy Speaker Carol Hughes last week. “The use of unparliamentary language by quoting from others is unacceptable.”“We will not tolerate these types of comments.”“I would urge all members to stay away from such comments even when quoting from documents. Taking unparliamentary language from a quotation and attributing it to another individual does not make it more acceptable.”The ruling followed remarks by Conservative MP Anna Roberts. Speaking in debate on Thursday, Roberts read aloud a letter from a constituent who referred to the prime minister as “Canada’s biggest terrorist” and “an economic vandal who let criminals run rampant.” Liberal MPs objected to the unparliamentary language.“She did read into the record a relatively strong and offensive term,” said Hughes. The House is guided mainly by custom and precedent.”“Generally the reading of articles from newspapers, books or other documents by a member during debate has become an accepted practice and is not ruled out of order provided such quotations do not use language which would be ruled out of order if spoken by a member.”“It is an acceptable practice for members to quote from correspondence they receive. Members may quote from private correspondence as long as they identify the sender by name or take full responsibility for its content.”Rules Of Order And Decorum prohibit MPs from insulting the King, “disrespectful reflections on Parliament as a whole” or using “offensive, provocative or threatening language.” Rulings are issued on a case by case basis.Liberal MPs last April 19 unsuccessfully sought a ban on all references to the prime minister as corrupt. “Corruption is the appropriate word for this Prime Minister,” Conservative MP Branden Leslie said at the time.Opposition members noted complaints of “corruption” in parliamentary debate dated from Confederation in 1867.“We have latitude to engage in our democracy freely and passionately on behalf of our constituents,” said Conservative MP Mike 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.”
