Speaker Says He Won’t Resign as House Prepares to Vote on Referring Alleged Misconduct to House Affairs Committee

Greg Fergus makes a Speaker's Statement before question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 18, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

As the House of Commons prepares to hold a vote on whether to refer House Speaker Greg Fergus’s misconduct to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC), Mr. Fergus claims he will not accept the Opposition Parties’ request that he resign.

“No, I will not resign. There’s a process that has been set out by the House, and we'll follow that process,” said on Dec. 5. “I think the best way to do it is to show them to demonstrate fairness and impartiality and getting the job done.”

Mr. Fergus’ comments come after a video recording of him praising a former Ontario Liberal leader was played at a Liberal convention over the past weekend, leading the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois to request that he resign.

Conservative MP and House Leader Andrew Scheer introduced a motion on whether the House should refer the matter to PROC, which would recommend an “appropriate remedy.”

In the video played at the Ontario Liberal leadership convention, Mr. Fergus is seen exiting the Speakers’ chamber wearing the traditional robes of his role to speak about his relationship with former Ontario Liberal leaders Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne.

“We had a lot of fun together through the Ottawa South Liberal Association, through Liberal Party politics, by helping Dalton McGuinty get elected,” he says in the video. Mr. McGuinty is leaving as the interim provincial Liberal leader after Bonnie Crombie was elected on Dec. 2.

According to parliamentary rules, the Speaker of the House must always show “the impartiality required to maintain the trust and goodwill of the House.”

In the House on Dec. 4, Mr. Fergus said he regretted that the video had been used for “other means” instead of strictly as a message for a “long-standing friend who is retiring.” He apologized for his actions, and assured MPs that “this kind of event will not happen again.” But the Speaker also said it should “not be seen as partisan to recognize a colleague’s departure. It is an act of friendship and respect.”

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Shortly after Mr. Fergus’s apology, Bloc Quebecois MP Alain Therrien said his party was calling for Mr. Fergus to resign, saying he had not shown the two “essential” qualities of impartiality and good judgment.

Mr. Scheer said the actions of Mr. Fergus should be treated as a “prima facie contempt of the House,” and proposed a motion calling for MPs to denounce the incident and for the Procedure and House Affairs Committee to recommend an “appropriate remedy.”

“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 those of the official opposition to those who have asked the Speaker to resign,” he said.

Video of Second Incident Emerges

On Dec. 5, Mr. Fergus appeared in another video on social media, this time in Washington D.C. speaking about his time running for president of the Federal Young Liberals.

“The #1 job of the Speaker is to be non-partisan. Greg Fergus broke this rule. His highly partisan actions led to an unprecedented ruling today,” Mr. Scheer said on X.

“Parliament is in session. Where’s he? In DC, caught on camera reliving his time as head of the Young Liberals. He must resign.”

Mr. Fergus was elected as House Speaker following an incident where the previous House Speaker Anthony Rota invited to Parliament and recognized a former member of the Nazi SS during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Ottawa in September. Mr. Rota apologized shortly after the incident but was forced to resign from his position.