MPs set to vote on whether to oust Speaker Greg Fergus

MPs are set to vote tonight on whether to allow Greg Fergus to stay on as Speaker of the House.

The Conservatives put forward a motion Monday asking the House to remove Fergus from the role over partisan language that appeared in an ad for an event in his riding.

Fergus is likely to remain in his job; the NDP is expected to join with the Liberals to vote down the motion.

But debate and questions about Fergus's impartiality took up time in the Commons chamber and at the House procedures committee on Tuesday.

Conservative MP Chris Warkentin moved the motion to remove Fergus after Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont ruled that the use of partisan language in the ad amounted to a prima facie question of MPs' privilege.

House of Commons rules state that questions of privilege take priority over all other matters. MPs spent most of Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning debating the issue.

The Liberals, with the support of the NDP, passed a closure motion on the privilege debate, which will force a vote on the matter on Tuesday evening.

Conservatives grilled Fergus during his Tuesday appearance before the House procedures committee.

Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner questioned how opposition MPs could approach House Speaker Greg Fergus about workplace harassement issues given the concerns about his impartiality. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)

The committee is reviewing the House workplace harassment and violence prevention policy, which the Speaker has a role in overseeing.

Conservative MPs Michelle Rempel Garner and Jamil Jivani questioned how opposition MPs could approach Fergus about workplace issues given the concerns about his impartiality.

Rempel Garner pointed to Fergus's past defence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after he elbowed former NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau during an incident in the House in 2016.

"Do you think opposition MPs would feel safe or empowered to report incidents of any form of harassment given that this … falls under your supervision?" Rempel Garner asked.

Fergus replied that MPs should have "complete confidence" that complaints will be given the "full treatment" by his office.

Rempel Garner responded by saying many women feel uncomfortable reporting to men in power because they fear their concerns won't be heard.

"I am not sure that if I reported something to you that you would treat me fairly, that I wouldn't have my issue twisted for partisan gain because of the repeated incidents of partisanship," she said.

Fergus's actions have raised questions before

The online ad for "A Summer Evening with the Honourable Greg Fergus" included a line that took aim at Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. It accused him of pursuing Conservative policies "that would risk our health, safety and pocketbooks" and promoted a Liberal plan to "grow an economy that works for everyone."

The Liberal Party apologized to Fergus in a letter last week, saying the language posted on the event page was the auto-populated, standardized language the party uses for events on its website.

The language was posted without Fergus's knowledge and "as a result of a miscommunication between the Party and the riding association," said the letter from Azam Ishmael, the party's national director.

This is not the first time Fergus, who was elected to the chair in October, has had his impartiality questioned by MPs.

Fergus initially lost the support of Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs when he taped a video tribute to outgoing Ontario Liberal leader John Fraser while wearing the Speaker's robes.

He also participated in a fundraising event in his riding last fall, something billed as a "cocktail militant" for Liberal supporters.

Fergus held on to his job after the NDP backed him during the fracas over the video. He apologized and paid a fine for breaking Commons rules that forbid the use of parliamentary resources for partisan purposes.

The NDP has maintained that Fergus behaved appropriately in this most recent case by having the event cleared by the Clerk before proposing to host it.