NDP calls for uncivil MPs to be suspended without pay

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
39,778
454
83
NDP calls for uncivil MPs to be suspended without pay

The federal New Democrats are calling for fines and suspensions of MPs who launch personal attacks on fellow politicians in the House of Commons.

“To stand and speak in the House of Commons is an enormous privilege,” NDP House Leader Nathan Cullen told reporters on Tuesday morning. “When we fail to do our job with respect and civility, MPs should lose that privilege.”

The NDP House Leader has moved that the Commons committee on Procedure and House Affairs be asked to recommend ways to give the Speaker the authority to penalize MPs who use harassment, threats and personal attacks, or who offer extreme misrepresentations of facts about other politicians and their positions when speaking in the House of Commons.

Those penalties would increase when the infractions occur during the daily Question Period or during the period set aside for Members’ statements.

Mr. Cullen would like the Speaker to be able to revoke the opportunity for questions from parties whose MPs have been disruptive. Politicians who break the rules would get a warning after their first offence, a one-day suspension following their second offence, a five-day suspension following their third offence, and a 20-day suspension following their fourth offence.

MPs would forfeit their salaries while they serve their suspension. And Mr. Cullen said parties would lose strategic advantage if the number of questions they can ask is reduced.

“We are talking about serious threats here,” he said.

“The current penalties are not effective because they don’t stack up against the rewards for bad behaviour,” said Mr. Cullen. “Strategic acting out by MPs makes headlines. Threats and personal attacks replace the debate on the issues facing Canadians.”

Mr. Cullen said his party is launching a campaign that it calls the Civility Project and is calling on Canadians to contact their MPs to say it is important to reverse the current trend toward increasing hostility in the Commons.

New Democrats are among the most disciplined MPs in the House. But the members of Mr. Cullen’s own caucus are not always pillars of civility. On Monday, Speaker Andrew Scheer chastised NDP MP Charlie Angus for saying Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre was wearing a “clown nose.”

And it may be difficult for the Speaker to make clear distinctions, in some cases, between what is normal discourse and what is a misrepresentation of the facts. The New Democrats, for instance, have been listening for months to Conservative allegations that an NDP government would impose a “$21-billion carbon tax on everything” – something the NDP says is a gross mischaracterization, if not an outright lie.

Nor it is it the first time that an MP has tried to elevate the discourse in the Commons. In 2010, Conservative MP Michael Chong introduced a six-point plan to improve civility. That motion hit a roadblock with the 2011 election but is still before the Procedures and House Affairs committee. So, it would seem that ending the cross-Commons attacks is not necessarily a Parliamentary priority.

Still, said Mr. Cullen, a change in decorum has to start somewhere because the antics in the House are turning off voters and eroding democracy. And heckling that takes shots at another MP’s gender, religion, race or sexual orientation is particularly offensive, he said.

“We’re not saying we won’t play hard, we’re not saying we won’t make mistakes from time to time, “ he said. “It is about making things better.”

NDP calls for uncivil MPs to be suspended without pay - The Globe and Mail
 

damngrumpy

Executive Branch Member
Mar 16, 2005
9,949
21
38
kelowna bc
Mr. Cullen is a very nice man and demonstrated that during the leadership debate.
This however is nonsense in a parliamentary system. This is one of those we would
like it to be situations which has nothing to do with reality in our political system.
I can remember other uncivil challenges to the speaker, and some of them were among
they most dynamic NDP and CCF members who could put up a hell of fight. Mr Cullen
must buy some skin cream to toughen it up. Passionate Debate engages people and
that is not always civil.
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
3
36
London, Ontario
It'll never happen!

If it did you'd be able to hear a freaking pin drop in the House of Commons. They'd all be on suspension.

Well, except for the guys that spend their days sleeping on the back benches, lol. How the hell can they sleep through all that ruckus anyway?
 

damngrumpy

Executive Branch Member
Mar 16, 2005
9,949
21
38
kelowna bc
It used to be that these people didn't take things personal there were some great lines
there was a old guy from rural NS that wanted a bridge built across a creek, it wasn't
very big and the government didn't want to build anything said they couldn't afford to.

The old guy said hell Mr Speaker, I could P*SS half way across that creak what do you
mean its too expensive,

The speaker told him he was out of order and the old guy came right back he said

Of course I'm out of order, if I was in order I could P*SS all the way across.

Today they hurl insults instead.
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
207
63
Ontario
The fact that they would push for it knowing their own can be volatile really speaks to their credibility.
It's far more likely they just don't think before they speak.

Or...

They don't think their shyte stinks.

Based on their track record.
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
39,778
454
83
It's far more likely they just don't think before they speak.



Or...



They don't think their shyte stinks.



Based on their track record.

What difference does it make if they are actually taking steps to mitigate this kind of behavior?
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
207
63
Ontario
What difference does it make if they are actually taking steps to mitigate this kind of behavior?
LOL...

They aren't taking steps to mitigate the behavior, they're throwing out platitudes to look hip and righteous, while being one of the biggest hurdles to civility in the house. Just the day before Cullen trotted this pretty pony out for the press, Scheer was getting spanked for a typical NDP PERSONAL attack on a Conservative.

So please, the only people that believe the NDP is sincere are party hacks or complete idiots.

And don't get me started on this tidbit of undemocratic nonsense...

Mr. Cullen would like the Speaker to be able to revoke the opportunity for questions from parties whose MPs have been disruptive.
Ya, good idea... :roll:
 

Retired_Can_Soldier

The End of the Dog is Coming!
Mar 19, 2006
11,282
479
83
59
Alberta
Ahh there would be no fun in politics without memorable quotes.


  • "Why are you yelling at me? I didn't take the fish from the God damn water, so don't go abusing me."[11]

  • "They don't need to go berserk. Trying to batter on doors to frighten me. In the first place, I don't frighten. (Referring to protesters outside of his press conference on the Cod moratorium.)[12]

  • "Americans were far more popular in Newfoundland than Canadians, so I was never hung up about the United States. There's always seemed to be a hang up with the Toronto cultural literati about the US. But that's never been the feeling in Newfoundland and Atlantic Canada."[13]

  • "Someday we're going to have a North American continent that's an economic union. That's inevitable. These economic forces are there, and government policy can't stop them. It's only a question of, How do you get into a more secure position? They're next door and geography dictates. Like it or not, we're going up or down with the US."[14]

  • "No, and I'm goddamned not going to either! I'll tell you that, and I'm telling you that there isn't one person in the whole goddamn government who's read it. I'm the only one honest enough to say so... At this stage of my life I don't have to kiss anybody's ***, I can say what I goddamn well like." (on reading the 1988 Free-Trade Agreement)[15]

  • "it is better to be honest and sincere in one language than a twister, a trickster and a twit in two." (referring to his own unilingualism and Trudeau's biligualism)[16]

  • "No, I don't speak Mandarin Chinese either." (his response when asked if not speaking French would hinder his ability to be Prime Minister)
The Honourable John Crosby

And last but not least: "Pass the tequila, Sheila, lay down and love me again."
 

Nuggler

kind and gentle
Feb 27, 2006
11,596
140
63
Backwater, Ontario.
:canada: John Crosbie, like him or not, had some fire in his belly, and quite a belly it was. Baird must have taken a few pointers out of Crosbie's playbook. But, not being intelligent, he only comes across as a loud mouthed bully.
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
39,778
454
83
LOL...

They aren't taking steps to mitigate the behavior, they're throwing out platitudes to look hip and righteous, while being one of the biggest hurdles to civility in the house. Just the day before Cullen trotted this pretty pony out for the press, Scheer was getting spanked for a typical NDP PERSONAL attack on a Conservative.

None of this disputes what I said.
 

EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
44,168
95
48
USA
  • "Americans were far more popular in Newfoundland than Canadians, so I was never hung up about the United States. There's always seemed to be a hang up with the Toronto cultural literati about the US. But that's never been the feeling in Newfoundland and Atlantic Canada."[13]

Newfies... Thats where the maternal side of my family comes from. They were always nice to us. Couldn't understand much of what the old timers said but the younger ones were good at translating.
 

captain morgan

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 28, 2009
28,429
146
63
A Mouse Once Bit My Sister
Newfies... Thats where the maternal side of my family comes from. They were always nice to us.

They are some of the most friendly and hospitable folks that you could ever have the privilege of meeting

Couldn't understand much of what the old timers said but the younger ones were good at translating.

Wait til they get a skin full of Screech in their system.. They are damn near impossible to comprehend - but a lot of fun to listen too!
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
6,182
0
36
Ottawa
The Speaker already has a fair amount of power to control those who are uncivil or disruptive in parliament. Unfortunately they are rarely used.