Commons Speaker Greg Fergus was told on Thursday to issue a fourteenth apology and decide on the amount of a fine he would pay for breaching the rules of impartiality.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the House Affairs committee turned down the requests made by 149 Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs, who had called for Fergus' resignation.“For us in the Liberal Party, he made a mistake, he apologized,” Government House leader Karina Gould told reporters. “That usually in the House of Commons is sufficient to move on.”“The government has made it quite clear that, you know, this was a mistake he made,” said Gould. “However, we do not feel this is a resignable offence.”“How can he continue?” asked a reporter. “Well, we do operate as a majority here in the House of Commons,” replied Gould.Fergus had previously apologized 13 times following the release of a video on December 2, where he said "Hey buddy" while wearing his official robes in his Parliament Hill office. The video was shown at an Ontario Liberal convention.“Boy, we had fun,” said Fergus. “We had a lot of fun together through the Ottawa South Liberal Association, through Liberal Party politics.”The Commons Procedure and Practice guide says the Speaker cannot participate in partisan activities.“The Speaker must always show and be seen to show the impartiality required to maintain the trust and goodwill of the House,” said the guide.In a report, the House Affairs committee on Thursday recommended that Fergus “issue another apology.” He should also pay a fine of his choosing “to reimburse a suitable amount for the use of parliamentary resources,” said the report Question of Privilege Related to the Speaker’s Public Participation at an Ontario Liberal Party Convention.In a Dissenting Opinion, Conservative MPs dismissed the sanctions as “weak and meaningless” and said a new Speaker should be elected. “His judgment is questionable,” wrote the Opposition. “To repair the tear in the fabric of our democratic institutions, the Speaker must resign.”Bloc Québécois MPs shared their Dissenting Opinion, stating that they believed Fergus should not continue as Speaker.“Just like a referee, the Speaker must embody impartiality, fairness and judgment,” wrote the Bloc. “These qualities are essential.”“He has lost the confidence of a large part of the House made up of at least 149 Members of the Bloc and the Conservative Party,” wrote the Bloc. “Although the Bloc placed its trust in Mr. Fergus in good faith when he was elected on October 3, a number of factors have raised serious doubts in the Bloc about his ability to properly carry out the role of Speaker.”Fergus was elected as the new Speaker following the sudden resignation of then-Speaker Anthony Rota on September 26. Rota resigned after presenting a Waffen SS fighter as a "Canadian hero" in the Commons.Rota said he did not realize his Ukrainian-Canadian constituent was a member of the 14 Waffen SS Grenadier Division interned as an enemy prisoner of war in 1945.In 1946, the Nuremberg Tribunal declared the Waffen SS as a criminal organization.The House Affairs committee is currently looking into the "Canadian hero" incident.
Commons Speaker Greg Fergus was told on Thursday to issue a fourteenth apology and decide on the amount of a fine he would pay for breaching the rules of impartiality.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the House Affairs committee turned down the requests made by 149 Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs, who had called for Fergus' resignation.“For us in the Liberal Party, he made a mistake, he apologized,” Government House leader Karina Gould told reporters. “That usually in the House of Commons is sufficient to move on.”“The government has made it quite clear that, you know, this was a mistake he made,” said Gould. “However, we do not feel this is a resignable offence.”“How can he continue?” asked a reporter. “Well, we do operate as a majority here in the House of Commons,” replied Gould.Fergus had previously apologized 13 times following the release of a video on December 2, where he said "Hey buddy" while wearing his official robes in his Parliament Hill office. The video was shown at an Ontario Liberal convention.“Boy, we had fun,” said Fergus. “We had a lot of fun together through the Ottawa South Liberal Association, through Liberal Party politics.”The Commons Procedure and Practice guide says the Speaker cannot participate in partisan activities.“The Speaker must always show and be seen to show the impartiality required to maintain the trust and goodwill of the House,” said the guide.In a report, the House Affairs committee on Thursday recommended that Fergus “issue another apology.” He should also pay a fine of his choosing “to reimburse a suitable amount for the use of parliamentary resources,” said the report Question of Privilege Related to the Speaker’s Public Participation at an Ontario Liberal Party Convention.In a Dissenting Opinion, Conservative MPs dismissed the sanctions as “weak and meaningless” and said a new Speaker should be elected. “His judgment is questionable,” wrote the Opposition. “To repair the tear in the fabric of our democratic institutions, the Speaker must resign.”Bloc Québécois MPs shared their Dissenting Opinion, stating that they believed Fergus should not continue as Speaker.“Just like a referee, the Speaker must embody impartiality, fairness and judgment,” wrote the Bloc. “These qualities are essential.”“He has lost the confidence of a large part of the House made up of at least 149 Members of the Bloc and the Conservative Party,” wrote the Bloc. “Although the Bloc placed its trust in Mr. Fergus in good faith when he was elected on October 3, a number of factors have raised serious doubts in the Bloc about his ability to properly carry out the role of Speaker.”Fergus was elected as the new Speaker following the sudden resignation of then-Speaker Anthony Rota on September 26. Rota resigned after presenting a Waffen SS fighter as a "Canadian hero" in the Commons.Rota said he did not realize his Ukrainian-Canadian constituent was a member of the 14 Waffen SS Grenadier Division interned as an enemy prisoner of war in 1945.In 1946, the Nuremberg Tribunal declared the Waffen SS as a criminal organization.The House Affairs committee is currently looking into the "Canadian hero" incident.
