OTTAWA – In a dramatic move, House Speaker Geoff Regan kicked Conservative MP Blake Richards out of the Commons for heckling.
Amid intense questioning and raucous heckles from the opposition bench over the ongoing saga over Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s personal finances and alleged breach of federal ethics law, things reached a new level on Thursday afternoon.
"I know that there is a lot of heat here. Order. The honourable member for Banff-Airdrie will come to order or he can go outside, or be helped outside, which would he prefer?" Regan said, referring to Richards by his riding name in accordance with Parliamentary protocol.
At that point, yelling is heard on the video feed from the House of Commons and Regan repeats, "which would he prefer?"
Regan then asks the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove Alberta MP Richards.
The Sergeant-at-Arms is responsible for safeguarding the authority of the House of Commons and for the safety and security of the Parliamentary precinct.
According to MPs within the chamber at the time of the incident, Richards was followed into the House lobby by the Seargeant-at-Arms.
