The Speaker of the House of Commons censured Conservative MP Jake Stewart (Miramichi-Grand Lake, NB) on Monday for labelling New Democrats as "Hamas supporters."According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the decision was made after complaints about a double standard that allowed cabinet members to make insulting remarks without consequences.“Latitude in expressing one’s point of view will be given, but questionable language and unnecessarily provocative statements will no longer be tolerated,” said Speaker Greg Fergus. “Clearly, it is disruptive and disrespectful to associate other members with a terrorist organization.”On November 23, Stewart told the House of Commons that he viewed the New Democrats as supporters of Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization.“I know the NDP is not going to like it,” said Stewart. “I said they are Hamas supporters, and they are.”On the same day Stewart made his comments, a former NDP candidate held a press conference at Parliament Hill and threatened to take legal action against Canadian friends of Israel. Yavar Hameed, a lawyer who ran for the New Democrats in 2021 (Ottawa-West Nepean, ON), claimed that Israel committed "war crimes."In his censure, Speaker Fergus said that Stewart could not speak in Parliament unless he gave a written apology.“The member will not be recognized by the Chair until such time as he apologizes in writing to the Speaker,” said Fergus.The Speaker made no mention of remarks earlier by Government House leader Karina Gould, who accused Conservatives of being friends of Russia. “The same standard should be applied to the members of the government,” said Conservative MP Andrew Scheer (Regina-Qu’Appelle, SK).Gould made these comments during Question Period.“The real question Canadians should ask themselves is, why did the Leader of the Opposition direct his party to vote against the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement?” asked Gould. “Is it because there is a group of Conservative Members of Parliament who are pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine and they have to cover for them? Is that what is going on?”Ukrainian-Canadian MPs objected.“It is gutter politics,” said Conservative MP James Bezan (Selkirk-Interlake, MB). “She has taken it to a whole new level. I would ask that the member be reprimanded and forced to apologize in this place because she has offended all Ukrainians.”“I want a full apology,” said Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall (Yorkton-Melville, SK), whose grandfather fled Stalinist Russia. “I am of Ukrainian heritage,” said Wagantall. “My grandfather came here just before the Holodomor from a Russia that destroyed our people.”“As a Ukrainian descendant, it is unbelievable to me,” said Conservative MP Chris Warkentin (Grande Prairie-Mackenzie, AB). Questioning whether Opposition MPs were apologists for “the current genocidal, illegal invasion into Ukraine” was offensive, said Warkentin.Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs (from Lakeland, AB) told the House that her in-laws came from Ukrainian farmers who settled in the Prairies before Alberta became a province in 1905.“There is a very high percentage of Ukrainian-Canadians on the Prairies and that is why Conservatives have such a strong record of standing up,” said Stubbs.
