Some Conservative backbenchers stirred up controversy in the House of Commons Tuesday when they accused their own party of preventing them from speaking out in Parliament.
Mark Warawa, a Langley, B.C. MP, complained that he was set to make a statement in the House last Thursday, but was told at the last minute that his name had been removed from the speakers’ list.
"The reason I was given was that the topic was not approved of," he said.
Warawa did not specify the topic, but it’s widely believed that he wanted to bring up his motion calling on parliamentarians to condemn sex-selective abortion. The motion was deemed out of order last week.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made it clear that he does not want to re-open the abortion debate in Canada.
Warawa asked Speaker Andrew Scheer to intervene in what he called a breach of his privileges as an MP.
Two other Conservative backbenchers, Alberta MP Leon Benoit and Manitoba MP Rod Bruinooge, backed Warawa’s concerns. Sources tell CTV News that nearly two dozen Conservative MPs met secretly on Monday to discuss the issue of PMO’s control.
"I want to say that I too feel that my rights have been infringed on by members of the party because I am not allowed to speak on certain topics in S.O. 31s," Benoit said, referring to the 15-minute period set aside each day for members’ statements.
"I have had S.O. 31s removed and I have been told that if I have one on a certain topic I simply will not be given S.O. 31s,” he said.
Warawa is appealing his removal from the speakers’ list to the Commons procedure and House affairs committee. The committee will hear his arguments on Wednesday.
He also said he will appeal to the Speaker if necessary.
Minute-long members’ statements have traditionally given MPs a chance to talk about what’s happening in their ridings and bring up issues that are deemed important to their constituents.
However, critics have accused the Conservatives – and opposition parties -- of using those statements for scripted partisan attacks.
Harper’s former deputy chief of staff, Keith Beardsley, said the prime minister should be worried about the growing unrest among backbenchers.
"They're flexing their muscles. They're getting very, very frustrated. And they’ve been around for eight years, 10 years,” he said. “That frustration is very real, and PMO has to admit, sooner or later, that this is an issue they have to deal with.”
NDP deputy leader Megan Leslie told CTV’s Power Play that although she disagrees “entirely” with Warawa’s motion, “he has the right to bring it forward.”
“I mean, he is one vote just like me…we’re all just one vote. We’re here to represent our constituents,” she said Tuesday.
“I suspect not all of his constituents are supportive of him, but at the same time he’s essentially doing something brave by going against those folks and he has the time. He’s allowed to stand up and…bring forward motions. We’re all equal here.”
However, Government whip Gordon O'Connor urged the Speaker to reject Warawa's complaint Tuesday, saying it's up to each party to determine which MPs will speak in the House.
"Put simply, this is a team activity and your role is referee," he told Scheer.
"It is not your job as referee to tell the coach or manager which player to play at any given time. That is a question for each team to decide."
Former House Speaker Peter Milliken said he would like to see a return to the old rules that allowed the Speaker to choose which MPs would make statements, instead of relying on lists controlled by the parties’ whips.
That was the case many years ago, Milliken told Power Play, and it worked because it gave MPs a chance to talk about their constituencies and reduced the level of partisan bickering.
“When the Speaker chose who was going to speak, if you said something that was offensive or caused disorder in the House, the Speaker could warn you…and then the Speaker could say: ‘You’re not going to be recognized for three weeks,’” Milliken said.
With a report from CTV’s Richard Madan and files from The Canadian Press
