A Speaker who tried to restore ‘respect’ to Parliament is now accused of disrespecting it

Greg Fergus became Speaker of the House of Commons in October because his predecessor, Anthony Rota, failed to exercise due diligence about a guest invited to watch the Ukrainian president’s address to Parliament.

And so it’s all the more unfortunate now that Fergus also finds himself accused of failing to exercise proper care — in this case regarding the Speaker’s official wardrobe.

But if Fergus has good reasons to reflect on his actions and his responsibility to the institution he serves and represents, he’s not the only one.

In a 105-second video that was shown at the Ontario Liberal Party convention on Saturday, Fergus offered kind words and reflections on his friendship with John Fraser, the outgoing interim leader of the party. Fergus recorded those words while wearing the Speaker’s robes.

In a statement to the House on Monday, Fergus said he did not know his message would be shown during the Ontario Liberal convention and described his remarks as a “non-political message to a personal friend of more than 34 years.” But he also apologized.

Apparently unmoved by that apology, Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer argued before the House that the impartiality of the Speaker had been seriously wounded by Fergus’s “partisan tribute to a partisan friend at a partisan event.” Scheer, himself a former Speaker, also objected to Fergus’s use of the phrase “our party” in an interview about Fraser with the Globe and Mail.

Both the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois say they believe Fergus’s mistake is serious enough to require his resignation. The New Democrats have not joined that call and the matter is likely headed to a parliamentary committee for further study.

The (mostly) non-partisan Speaker

The tradition in Canada is that Speakers significantly limit their partisan activities. A Speaker does not, for instance, attend party caucus meetings, vote in the House (except in the event of a tie) or participate in debate. 

But the Speaker doesn’t cease to be a partisan entirely. In the United Kingdom, if an MP serving as Speaker runs for re-election, they do so as an independent candidate. In Canada, the Speaker still runs as a party candidate. 

In 2015, for instance, Speaker Scheer ran as a Conservative and reportedly attended a campaign event for Stephen Harper. 

“The Speaker does have to get elected under a party banner, and I’m proud to do that, proud to run as a Conservative in Regina-Qu’Appelle, telling all the people in Saskatchewan how our…