OTTAWA — House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus is apologizing for appearing in a video message that was slammed as partisan by critics, prompting opposition parties to call for his resignation from a post he assumed just two months ago.
Fergus ignited criticism for a video shown at Saturday’s Ontario Liberal leadership convention, which crowned Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie as the party’s new leader and saw the exit of Ottawa South MPP John Fraser as the interim holder of that role.
The video featured Fergus in the Speaker’s office, garbed in his Speaker’s robes, thanking Fraser for serving Ontarians and reflecting on the pair’s years of friendship and time spent working the Liberal political circuit.
The catch? The role of Speaker is meant to be strictly impartial, and whoever holds that office must never engage in partisan activity.
“I was asked to record a video for an intimate party for a long-standing friend who is retiring and accepted to do so. I regret that this video was used for other means. It was broadcast to colleagues at the convention of a party of which I'm not a member and a province where I do not live, in a jurisdiction where I have not voted for 30 years,” Fergus said in a statement delivered in the House of Commons on Monday.
“Like all of you, I have deep and abiding relationships with people from all political backgrounds. It should not be seen as partisan to recognize a colleague's departure. It is an act of friendship and respect,” Fergus said.
In his apology, he acknowledged that the optics surrounding his message could be misinterpreted, reassured MPs that he would not commit a similar misstep again and said the principle of impartiality is a value he prioritizes as Speaker.
Fraser, who has twice served as the Ontario Liberals’ interim leader, is still a sitting MPP.
At Queen’s Park, Fraser said Fergus’s message was “non-partisan” and confirmed that details surrounding where the video would be used were “miscommunicated” to the Speaker’s office.
“That’s on us,” Fraser told reporters.
“Greg used to babysit my kids. He sent me a very personal non-partisan message, thanking me and congratulating me and acknowledging our friendship,” he added. “Anybody who's being critical of the Speaker, watch the video.”
The assurances didn’t cut it for the opposition Conservatives, who on Monday demanded that Fergus step aside.
“It's a difficult thing to say especially as a former Speaker, but I do believe that this … has undermined the position of the Speaker so greatly that I must add my voice and the voice of the Official Opposition to those who have asked for the Speaker to resign,” said Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer.
Scheer spent four years as Speaker, a role intended to keep MPs in line and ensure business in the House of Commons is conducted smoothly.
Members of Parliament voted to name Fergus to the position two months ago after former Speaker Anthony Rota sparked a furor by inviting a former Ukrainian soldier — who it later emerged had fought for a Nazi unit in the Second World War — to the House of Commons for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s September visit.
In his first speech as Speaker, Fergus said he would work to “quickly” restore honour to the lower chamber following the controversy.
But MPs of all political stripes on Monday said Fergus had tarnished that honour by choosing to deliver partisan remarks while wearing his traditional robes inside the Speaker’s chamber.
“We had a lot of fun together, through the Ottawa South Liberal Association, through Liberal party politics by helping (former Ontario premier) Dalton McGuinty get elected,” Fergus says in the nearly two-minute video, attributing some of his successes — including becoming Speaker — to the influence Fraser had on his life.
According to the formal procedures of the House of Commons, the Speaker “must always show, and be seen to show, the impartiality required to maintain the trust and goodwill of the House.” Speakers are also not permitted to vote in the Commons, except in the case of a tie.
In a lengthy speech that saw him citing parliamentary procedures in Canada and in other Commonwealth nations, Scheer framed Fergus’s actions as “contempt of the House.”
He called on his colleagues to “denounce the Speaker's public participation in partisan events and accordingly, ask the Procedure and House Affairs committee to recommend an appropriate remedy for this utterly unprecedented and completely avoidable problem.”
Bloc Québécois House Leader Alain Therrien also called for Fergus to step down, pointing out that he only ascended to the position after Rota “committed a serious mistake in judgment.”
NDP House Leader Peter Julian didn’t demand Fergus’s ouster, but said he was “dismayed” by the video.
“The rules regarding the impartiality of the Speaker could not be clearer. There is no 'if,' there is no 'but,' there are no exceptions to this abstention from participating in partisan activities,” Julian said in French.
“The apology issued this morning by the Speaker partly explained why this regrettable situation occurred … but is the Speaker's responsibility to ensure that such a video is not used in a partisan context.”
With files from Rob Ferguson
Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Metroland account holder. If you do not yet have a Metroland account, you can create one now (it is free).
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation