Speaker Suspends Poilievre for a Day for Accusing Foreign Minister of Supporting Hamas

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre faced a temporary ban from speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday after Speaker Greg Fergus ruled that his refusal to withdraw certain remarks about Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly was a breach of parliamentary decorum. Poilievre accused Joly of pandering to Hamas during a heated exchange about the Israel-Hamas conflict.

During Monday’s question period, Poilievre demanded that Joly condemn what he described as “genocidal chants” at recent protests regarding the ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas. Some of these rallies have led to investigations by Canadian police into potential hate speech, and in certain cases, charges have already been filed.

Joly, addressing the House with a prepared statement, chose instead to mark the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel, stating, “We stand with Jewish people.”

However, Poilievre persisted in questioning Joly’s stance on antisemitic chants heard at protests. Justice Minister Arif Virani responded on behalf of the government, saying, “We absolutely stand against the rise of hatred we have witnessed.”

Unmoved by the government’s responses, Poilievre insisted that Joly had failed to take a strong enough stand against the rhetoric heard in the streets. “I gave the foreign affairs minister two chances to condemn increasingly common and terrifying antisemitic chants, such as ‘Israel will soon be gone’ and ‘There is only one solution! Intifada, revolution!'” Poilievre said, adding that Joly’s silence signaled a troubling political calculation. “Twice she refused to condemn those remarks. She continues to pander to Hamas supporters and the Liberal Party as part of her leadership campaign.”

Joly, visibly outraged by Poilievre’s remarks, immediately protested, prompting Speaker Fergus to intervene. On Tuesday, Fergus ruled that Poilievre’s comments were unparliamentary and in violation of House rules. The Speaker warned Poilievre that if he did not retract his statements, he would be barred from speaking in the House for the rest of the day.

Fergus referenced a previous incident where Liberal MP Yvan Baker was reprimanded for comments linking Poilievre’s Conservatives to Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that the same rules must apply to Poilievre’s conduct.

Despite the ruling, Poilievre remained unrepentant and refused to back down, resulting in his temporary ban from speaking in the House. This development underscores the heightened tensions in Canadian politics as debates surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict continue to stir strong emotions and partisan clashes.