Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday — and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
The unusually tense events saw Speaker Greg Fergus caution both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to rephrase their comments to avoid making direct accusations about the character of another MP.
Fergus issued a warning to Poilievre after he referred to Trudeau as “the guy who spent the first half of his adult life as a practising racist,” referring to photos that emerged during the 2019 election of Trudeau dressed in black and brown face.
Fergus warned Trudeau after he said Poilievre was “showing us exactly what shameful, spineless leadership looks like,” and accused him of shaking hands with “white nationalists.”
The tense back-and-forth came as Poilievre and the Conservatives were attacking the Liberals for having allowed British Columbia to allow the decriminalization of hard drugs like heroin and fentanyl in public places, which the provincial NDP government is now asking Health Canada to reverse.
The Conservatives argue the policy has caused great harm.
Trudeau ignored that issue completely, responding to each question about drugs by accusing Poilievre of associating with far-right extremists.
He said a person who does so is not fit to be prime minister.
He made the remarks after videos circulated online of Poilievre last week stopping at what protesters described as an anti-carbon price protest in Atlantic Canada.
The scene featured expletive-laden flags bearing Trudeau’s name.
At one point, videos show Poilievre exiting a trailer belonging to one of the protesters. Its exterior featured many images, including a symbol belonging to the far-right online group Diagolon.
The trouble in the House began to escalate when Fergus ejected Conservative MP Rachael Thomas after she said he was “acting in a disgraceful manner.”
The tense exchange continued after her departure, with Trudeau saying Poilievre is a “19-year” politician who made a choice to associate with that encampment.
“Any leader that needs the support of a far-right white nationalist group to fundraise and get closer to power does not deserve elected office,” the prime minister charged.
Poilievre said the prime minister’s words were only his “latest distraction” from his own “extremist policies.”
“When will we put an end to this wacko policy by this wacko prime minister?”
Fergus then drew the line.
“No, no,” he said. “That is not acceptable.”
He asked Poilievre to withdraw his comments, saying they were unparliamentary.
Poilievre didn’t withdraw, but said he would replace the word with “extremist,” which Fergus also rejected.
He then said he would replace it with “radical,” which Fergus did not accept either.
He asked the Conservative leader to “simply withdraw” the comment.
When Fergus asked Poilievre for a final time to take back his comment, the Conservative leader said, “I simply withdraw and replace with the aforementioned adjective.”
Fergus then ordered him to leave the chamber and not participate in further debate Tuesday, either in person or virtually.
Much of the Conservative caucus exited at the same time, and all of them eventually left before question period was over.
Government House leader Steven MacKinnon emerged from the House a few moments later, calling what had just unfolded a “disgrace.”
“It’s a disrespect for our institutions, a disrespect for the Speaker,” he said.
After leaving, Poilievre posted on X that Fergus “censored” him for calling Trudeau’s drug policies “wacko.” The Conservatives also launched a fundraiser off the incident within an hour of Poilievre’s ouster.
In a written statement, the Conservatives doubled down on the use of the word “wacko,” saying it’s been uttered in the House of Commons many times in the past without being considered unparliamentary.
The party said Fergus kicked Poilievre out to protect the prime minister.
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Per a quick Hansard publication search, it appears “wacko” has been used in the HoC on three occasions in the last decade.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner said the incidents in the House showed evidence of a double standard and said Poilievre was speaking the truth.
“If you look at the definition of wacko, it is literally what the Liberal government is doing in terms of holding onto the policies of decriminalizing hard drugs like heroin and crack,” she said.
Conservative MP Arnold Viersen said watching Poilievre get ejected was upsetting.
“The Speaker is supposed to be a referee, not a participant,” he said.
Health Minister Mark Holland defended the Speaker’s call, saying Poilievre was removed because he refused to retract his language.
“When the Speaker, who is the adjudicator of rules in the House, asks for you to retract a comment, it’s important that you respect his office and that decision.”
Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree also rejected the idea that Fergus treats Tories differently.
“He has called out members of the Liberal party, he’s called out members of the Conservative party; he even called out members of the other parties today,” he said.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet was clearly pleased by the events, thanking Fergus in French for showing “common sense” in the chamber.
Bloc MP Louis Plamondon, the longest-serving MP in the House having been elected in 1984, said Poilievre’s comment was “insulting.”
He said he has not seen a party leader ejected in 40 years on the Hill and doesn’t remember a party staging a mass walkout either.
The Liberals continued their attacks on Poilievre outside the chamber. Liberal MP Charles Sousa said it is noteworthy that the Conservative leader refused to answer questions about why he chose to associate with a group displaying symbols of the far-right Diagolon group.
“I think that speaks a lot about who he is and his character,” he said. “And I think that’s the real question today.”
Immigration Minister Marc Miller ultimately dismissed the notion that Poilievre was being silenced by anyone.
“I think it would be good if he shut his yap once in a while,” he said.
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba said Thursday “there’s no animosity” toward the organization following an offseason in which his name was prominently mentioned in trade rumors.
“It’s part of the business of hockey,” Trouba said following the first day of training camp for the reigning Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers.
According to reports, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury had negotiated a trade that would send New York’s captain to Detroit in late June. The trade fell apart, however, when Trouba submitted his 15-team no-trade list to the Rangers on June 30 and included the Red Wings on it.
“Obviously, had the no-move that turned into the partial no-trade,” said Trouba, whom New York acquired in a trade with Winnipeg in June 2019 and signed to a seven-year, $56 million contract one month later. “That’s life, contracts, hockey business, whatever you want to call it.
“I knew that was coming that summer. It’s not by surprise. It was obviously something that was negotiated at the time.”
The 30-year-old’s insistence that his relationship with Drury is fine echoes what the executive said in a pre-training camp conference call with reporters.
“Jacob and I talk all the time as GM and captain should,” Drury said. “We’ve had a number of different conversations over the course of the summer on a lot of different things. He is very clear as to where he stands with me and what I think of him as a player and as a leader.”
Still, Trouba realizes that the 2024-25 season is likely the last for the current iteration of the Original Six franchise. The Rangers have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last three seasons, and have reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022 and 2024. Following last spring’s six-game series loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, Drury wondered aloud in a conference call with reporters if the Rangers’ core players could lead the franchise to a Stanley Cup.
“(It’s) an opportunity that we have in front of us that in all likelihood will probably be the last crack for this core,” Trouba said. “I don’t think that’s a secret by any means. (A) group that’s kind of grown together, spent some years together here, and there’s something we want to accomplish.”
Veterans Tyson Beukeboom and Karen Paquin will lead Canada at the WXV 1 women’s rugby tournament starting later this month in the Vancouver area.
WXV 1 includes the top three teams from the Women’s Six Nations (England, France and Ireland) and the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand, and the United States).
Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 7 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the eighth-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.
“Our preparation time was short but efficient. This will be a strong team,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. “All the players have worked very hard for the last couple of weeks to prepare for WXV and we are excited for these next three matches and for the chance to play on home soil here in Vancouver against the best rugby teams in the world.
“France, Ireland and England will each challenge us in different ways but it’s another opportunity to test ourselves and another step in our journey to the Rugby World Cup next year.”
Beukeboom serves as captain in the injury absence of Sophie de Goede. The 33-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., earned her Canadian-record 68th international cap in Canada’s first-ever victory over New Zealand in May at the Pacific Four Series.
Twenty three of the 30 Canadian players selected for WXV 1 were part of that Pacific Four Series squad.
Rouet’s roster includes the uncapped Asia Hogan-Rochester, Caroline Crossley and Rori Wood.
Hogan-Rochester and Crossley were part of the Canadian team that won rugby sevens silver at the Paris Olympics, along with WXV teammates Fancy Bermudez, Olivia Apps, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry. Wood is a veteran of five seasons at UBC.
The 37-year-old Paquin, who has 38 caps for Canada including the 2014 Rugby World Cup, returns to the team for the first time since the 2021 World Cup.
Canada opens the tournament Sept. 29 against France at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver before facing Ireland on Oct. 5 at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, and England on Oct. 12 at B.C. Place.
The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.
WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.
The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.
Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.
Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team WXV 1 Squad
Forwards
Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Français Paris (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Gloucester-Hartpury (England); Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., College Rifles RFC; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Leprechaun Tigers; Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England);
Backs
Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que, Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Westshore RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
PENTICTON, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he’s been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season’s playoffs.
The 28-year-old all star says the rehabilitation process has been frustrating, but he has made good progress in recent weeks and is confident he’ll be able to return to playing.
He says he and his medical team have spent the last few months talking to specialists around the world, and have not found a single other hockey player who has dealt with the same injury.
Demko missed several weeks of the last season with a knee ailment and played just one game in Vancouver’s playoff run last spring before going down with the current injury.
He was not on the ice with his teammates as the Canucks started training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, but skated on his own before the sessions began.
Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts for Vancouver last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
