Wild question period sees Poilievre ejected after calling PM a ‘wacko’

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OTTAWA • Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was kicked out of the House of Commons on Tuesday over a back and forth with the speaker, after calling the prime minister a “wacko.”

The entire Conservative caucus then left as well, emptying the opposition benches of the chamber.

That came after another Conservative MP was ejected for calling Speaker Greg Fergus a disgrace.

And it all stemmed from a heated back and forth that began when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on Poilievre to address the courting of alleged far-right extremists after the opposition leader stopped last week to thank protesters camped out on the side of the road at the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia border.

Poilievre had yet to face questions about his decision to greet the encampment of protesters.

One of the videos showed Poilievre exiting a protester’s trailer that has a small “Diagolon” symbol drawn onto its door, which was described at the Emergency Act inquiry as an online community of anti-government and far-right extremists.

Over the last few days, Trudeau has repeatedly criticized the decision, while also calling on Poilievre to reject an endorsement of controversial U.S. talk radio host Alex Jones.

Trudeau brought that up in question period on Tuesday.

“What hasn’t been answered by the leader of the opposition is why he chooses to continue to court extreme right nationalist groups like Diagolon,” he said. “The leader of the opposition is actively courting the support of groups with white nationalist views, it is disturbing, and he needs to stand up and apologize now.”

Poilievre responded that he “always condemns extremism and racism, including from the guy who spent the first half of his adult life as a practicing racist, dressing up in hideous, racist costumes, so many times,” a reference to photos of Trudeau wearing blackface.

Fergus then interjected, warning Poilievre not to make direct accusations of an individual’s character, as it’s against the rules.

Poilievre continued to condemn the “extremism” of the Trudeau government for awarding $500,000 in federal “anti-racism” contracts to Laith Marouf’s Community Media Advocacy Centre, despite Marouf’s lengthy history of extremist cheerleading against Jews.

He also condemned Trudeau for not listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, among other things.

Trudeau shot back.

“The leader opposite is showing us exactly what shameful, spineless leadership looks like,” he said, while then being drowned out by shouting.

Through the fracas, Fergus zeroed in on an off-microphone comment by Conservative MP Rachael Thomas, telling her that “challenging” the chair is against the rules.

Thomas responded: “The chair is acting in a disgraceful manner.”

She was then ejected for the remainder of the day’s sitting.

That didn’t stop the back and forth.

“The leader opposite is showing us once again what he will do to try and win votes through personal attacks,” Trudeau said. “He shakes the hands of a leader of a white nationalist group, then goes to actively support the group’s members and thinks he can get away with it.”

He later added: “That is shameful.”

Poilievre countered by saying the allegations are “false.”

In doing so, he referenced British Columbia’s recent request that Ottawa recriminalize public use of hard drugs, giving police powers to seize drugs or arrest those threatening public safety.

“He uses fear and falsehood and this latest distraction because he doesn’t want to face the fact that he has become so extreme and radical that even the British Columbia NDP is distancing themselves from his decriminalization of crack, heroin, meth, and other hard drugs…”

Trudeau continued that “any leader that needs the support of a far right nationalist group to fundraise to get closer to power does not deserve elected office.”

Poilievre continued his criticism of the decriminalization of drugs.

“When will be put an end to this wacko policy by this wacko prime minister?” he said.

Fergus is heard saying “no, no, no” in the background, then calling the words unacceptable, before requesting Poilievre to withdraw his words.

“Mr. Speaker, I replace ‘wacko’ with ‘extremist,’ he is an extremist,” Poilievre said.

Fergus asks again, to similar results, this time Poilievre saying he will replace it with “radical.”

A third and final request sees Poilievre say something similar, resulting in his ejection.

“Mr. Poilievre, I have to name you for disregarding the authority of the chair pursuant to the authority granted to me by standing order 11, I order you to withdraw from the House and from participation by video conference for the remainder of this day’s sitting,” Fergus said.

Poilievre left, with his entire caucus getting up and leaving with him.

The Conservative leader then turned to social media.

“The Liberal speaker censored me for describing Trudeau’s hard drug policy as wacko,” he posted. “Six people dying from overdoses every day in B.C. is wacko. Nurses worried about breastfeeding after breathing in toxic drug fumes is wacko. This is a wacko policy from a wacko PM that’s destroying lives.”

Trudeau himself fielded a few more questions from Bloc Québécois and NDP MPs inside the House of Commons before leaving the chamber.