It was another high moment in parliamentary decorum..A Liberal MP gave a Conservative MP the finger in the House of Commons and called her a liar..The incident occurred Tuesday in a debate on Bill C-311, the Violence Against Pregnant Women Act..In a speech defending the bill, BC Conservative MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay (South Surrey-White Rock) took to her feet in the Commons..“Just last week, it was reported that Paul Bernardo was transferred to a medium security prison. Conservatives brought forward a unanimous consent motion calling for an immediate return of this brutal serial rapist and killer to a maximum security prison. We were shouted down by the Liberal member for Kingston and the Islands, and that made the intentions of the Liberals clear," she said.."They have decided to defend one of the most disgusting men in Canadian history, rather than his female victims and their families. This is misogyny.".“When the Liberals vote against Bill C-311, they will be voting against women and against choice. They will once again be protecting violent men, not vulnerable women. Conservatives are on the side of women and victims.”.Opposition MPs voted down C-311, but not before Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands) objected to Findlay’s comments..“Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, the member attributed something that I apparently did yesterday to me. I certainly did not do that. The member might want to reflect on that. The next time, before she makes accusations, she might want to know what she is talking about,” he said..Findlay replied, “Mr. Speaker, I was in the House when the unanimous consent motion was called. The member said ‘no.’ I rarely make a mistake about what the member does.”.Gerretsen said it was someone else and, “This member should apologize, because she is lying right now.”.Findlay replied, “Mr. Speaker, the member just called me a liar in this House, and then walked out. Now he is back. That is not only unparliamentary language. We can all check Hansard and see what happened. He—”.Gerretsen retorted, “Check Hansard then before you speak next time,” a comment addressed to Findlay, not the speaker, as is parliamentary custom..Findlay replied, “Mr. Speaker, I have the floor; that this member is shouting over me when I have the floor is also unparliamentary. He is a disgrace.”.Gerretsen apologized for his comment and rephrased it with a similar meaning..“Mr. Speaker, I apologize for saying that the member was lying. What the member is saying is not true. She should check Hansard before she makes that accusation in this House, because what she is saying is simply and categorically false.”.“Mr. Speaker, that member just turned to me, made a face and gave the finger to me. I do not even know how you categorize that in the House of Commons,” Findlay said, to which some MP’s responded it was to all of them..“Mr. Speaker, he did it to all of us and specifically to me. That member should be sanctioned in the strongest possible terms. He should be thrown out of the House.”.Deputy Speaker Chris d’Entremont, Conservative MP for West Nova, said he was consulting with table officers over procedure and missed the gesture. However, NDP MP Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway) confirmed he saw Gerretsen “make an objectionable sign with his finger to the opposition.”.Conservative MP Bob Zimmer (Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies) said, “Mr. Speaker, I clearly saw the member for Kingston and the Islands give the finger, which is a symbol for a very specific phrase. Again, I would agree with my colleague that an apology is in order.”.The deputy speaker said he could not make the request because Gerretsen had left the House and he would consult video review. He suggested debate on Bill C-311 resume. Liberal MP Sonia Sidhu (Brampton South) began comments, only to be interrupted..“I apologize. Before we really get started, I know the honourable member for Kingston and the Islands wants to stand on something,” said the deputy speaker..Gerretsen was back to apologize for giving Findlay the finger..“Mr. Speaker, I apologize for the frustration that I exhibited in the last few moments, but I want to reiterate that it was not me,” Gerretsen said..“Mr. Speaker, I admit what the members are indicating that [what] I did, I did do. I unreservedly apologize for displaying my frustration that way.”.That evening, pro-life advocate Alissa Golob posted a highlight video of the exchange to Twitter, since viewed almost 200,000 times. .The next day, Findlay posted to Twitter demanding an apology “to me, to the chair, and to the House” and included a four-minute video of her speech in the House reviewing the previous day’s events.
