‘I’m right here, bro’: Singh, Poilievre have tense exchange during question period
;Resize=(620))
Tensions flared between NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during a raucous Thursday question period, with Singh at one point walking into the aisle to yell at the Conservative leader.
Poilievre used his first round of questions to criticize the Bloc Québécois and NDP after both parties announced they wouldn’t support a non-confidence motion that would topple the Liberal government.
During his fifth question, Poilievre accused Singh of backing out of the governing agreement the NDP previously held with the Liberals in an effort to hold a seat in a Winnipeg byelection earlier this week.
“Once the votes were counted, he betrayed them,” Poilievre said, accusing the NDP leader of propping up the Liberals in order to secure his MP pension.
“He is a fake, a phony and a fraud. How can anyone ever believe what this sell-out NDP leader says in the future?”
Singh stood up as Poilievre was asking his question and began yelling at the Conservative leader, according to witnesses.
Once Poilievre sat down, the House erupted in angry crosstalk between the Conservative and NDP benches.
Singh left his seat and walked into the aisle to shout at Poilievre. Two MPs who were in the House told CBC News that Singh said, “I’m right here, bro.” The incident was not shown on parliamentary cameras.
Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux told CBC News that he couldn’t make out what Singh said to Poilievre. He said the NDP leader “looked upset and somewhat confrontational, which seemed to amuse the Conservative leader.”
During question period Thursday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre directed two questions in a row to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh instead of the governing Liberals. The questions prompted Singh to leave his seat to shout at Poilievre. Singh isn’t visible on the House of Commons cameras, but Poilievre can be seen shouting in Singh’s direction in return. House Speaker Greg Fergus restored order and said MPs need to ‘work within the rules.’
As Speaker Greg Fergus tried to restore order, Poilievre could be seen on camera pointing in Singh’s direction and repeatedly saying, “Do it.”
Order was restored after several minutes and Fergus reminded MPs that “Canadians are looking at us.”
“Let us conduct ourselves in a way really befitting of each of our constituencies and the country as a whole,” the Speaker said.
Poilievre had kicked question period off by criticizing the Bloc and asking three times in French why the party won’t support the Conservatives’ non-confidence motion.
Questions in question period are meant to be directed toward the government, according to House procedures. After Poilievre’s first two questions were directed at the Bloc, ministers stopped rising to respond. Fergus, calling the situation “awkward,” was then forced to return to Poilievre for more questions.
After Singh walked into the aisle, Fergus reminded the House that question period is meant to hold the government to account.
“Colleagues, for this to work, we also have to make sure that we work within the rules that we have,” he said.
“We have so many other tools available to us, as members, to make the comments that we need to make outside of question period.”
The vote on the Conservative motion is expected to take place next week.
