Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday faced Conservative calls for the House of Commons Speaker to kick him out after a heated exchange during question period.
Wednesday’s question period was particularly feisty as it came ahead of a vote on a Conservative motion of non-confidence in Trudeau’s government.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre questioned Trudeau, who had just returned from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, over the government’s recent purchase of a $9-million Manhattan apartment for the official residence of its New York consul general Tom Clark.
The old residence has been listed for sale for $13 million, a move that Global Affairs Canada has said will actually save the government money.
“Did the prime minister go and inspect this palace in the sky in his recent trip to New York?” Poilievre asked.
As Trudeau began to answer, Conservatives erupted in jeers, forcing Trudeau to pause and House Speaker Greg Fergus to intervene. The word “bathtub” was clearly audible at one point on the House of Commons feed, followed by laughter.
After Fergus allowed Trudeau to start his answer again, the prime minister said: “Mr. Speaker, don’t worry. On this side of the House, we’re used to casual homophobic comments from the other side of the House.”
Fergus stopped Trudeau again, admitted he didn’t hear the original comment, and asked Trudeau to withdraw his remark.
“Mr. Speaker, standing up to bullies requires us to call them out on their crap sometimes, and that is what I will do,” Trudeau said to cheers from the Liberal caucus.
Fergus then asked Trudeau “to once again to rise on his feet” and withdraw.
“I will happily withdraw my comment if the member who suggested that I was sharing a bathtub with Tom Clark stands up, takes responsibility for his comment, and withdraw,” the prime minister responded.
As Conservatives called on the Speaker to remove Trudeau from the House, Fergus called on the prime minister once more “to be the better person and to please just withdraw the comment and start his question again.”
“I withdraw the comment about defecating,” Trudeau said. “I certainly — using the word ‘crap,’ I shouldn’t use that, I know ‘crap’ is unparliamentary.
“But Mr. Speaker, when someone says something that is clearly homophobic — I’m not accusing them (the Conservatives) of homophobia, I’m saying they made a homophobic comment….”
Fergus then rose to cut Trudeau off.
“I appreciate the prime minister withdrawing his comment, and the chair accepts him withdrawing that comment,” the Speaker said, despite Trudeau specifying it was the use of the word “crap” he was withdrawing and not the original comment about a homophobic remark.
“I heard a comment,” Fergus said. “I did not know who said it and the Speaker chose for the reputation of this House for us to move on from that comment. I asked the prime minister to withdraw the comment. I appreciate you withdrawing the comment. The prime minister, please respond to the question that was asked earlier.”
Trudeau then continued his original answer highlighting his work on the world stage.
In a statement Wednesday evening, Sebastian Skamski, director of media relations for Poilievre’s office, said that the Conservative MP had been referencing how the real estate listing for the consul condo included a description of a “handcrafted copper soaking tub.”
“In Question Period the Prime Minister ridiculously claimed that that luxury features like this were needed to conduct diplomacy and international relations so a Conservative member rightly questioned how a ‘handcrafted copper soaking tub’ was necessary to conduct diplomatic meetings,” the statement said.
“Of course there is no justification for wasting taxpayer dollars on these luxury features and the Prime Minister was clearly lying to gin up fake outrage to distract Canadians from this colossal waste of money.”
At the end of question period Wednesday, NDP MP Blake Desjarlais raised a point of order over the “very derogatory, homophobic and cowardly comment coming from the Conservative benches directed at the prime minister.”
He asked Fergus to review the remark and return with a ruling, which Fergus said he will consider.
In May, Fergus removed Poilievre from the House of Commons after Poilievre repeatedly refused to withdraw a comment calling Trudeau “wacko.”
Lists of words and phrases deemed to be unparliamentary language exist, but the official House rules are generally focused on how that language is used, rather than banning only specific terms.
Those rules say “personal attacks, insults and obscenities are not in order,” while those same attacks and insults may sometimes be allowed “when applied ‘in a generic sense’ or to a party.”