A Parliamentary clash erupted after Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia blocked Conservative attempts to grill the government over fresh allegations that a Quebec Liberal leadership campaign handed out $100 payments in exchange for votes.Scarpaleggia ruled that the matter fell outside federal jurisdiction, telling MPs the issue “did not concern federal government policies or programs,” and therefore could not be raised during Question Period. His decision immediately ignited anger on the Opposition benches.Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus tried to press the Prime Minister on a La Presse report alleging Liberal MP Faycal El-Khoury had ties to the provincial leadership campaign of former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez. Blacklock's Reporter said before Paul-Hus could finish, Scarpaleggia cut him off, insisting he ask a question tied directly to federal responsibilities.Paul-Hus pushed back, arguing his question centred on “a Member who is here, across the way,” and demanded assurances no federal Liberal had broken either federal or provincial law. Liberal MPs jeered as tensions rose in the chamber..The allegations stem from reports in Le Journal de Montréal claiming the Rodriguez campaign paid $100 for votes during the Quebec Liberal Party leadership race. Rodriguez has denied wrongdoing. La Presse later reported that El-Khoury served as a key organizer for the campaign, though he has not commented publicly.Bloc Québécois MP Yves Perron said MPs should be free to ask questions about matters “in the news,” criticizing the Speaker’s strict interpretation of the rules.Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon defended his colleagues, saying he had seen “no evidence” of wrongdoing and that he trusted both Rodriguez and El-Khoury. When pressed by reporters about the alleged $100 payments, MacKinnon dismissed the claims as baseless and said all parties seek new members.
