Speaker Greg Fergus apologizes for controversial video, asks MPs for chance to redeem himself

Embattled Speaker Greg Fergus is appearing before a parliamentary committee today, where he began his testimony by apologizing to the country for his controversial appearance in a video shown at the Ontario Liberal convention.

"First let me apologize to all of you here, to all of our colleagues in the House and indeed, to all Canadians. I am sorry," Fergus said.

The 105-second video that is at the heart of the controversy surrounding Fergus shows the Speaker in his official office, wearing his Speaker's robes, paying tribute to John Fraser, the outgoing interim leader of the provincial Liberal Party.

In Canada, Speakers are supposed to significantly limit their partisan activities once they don the black robe. A Speaker does not, for example, attend party caucus meetings, vote in the House (except in the event of a tie) or participate in debate.

"I recorded a video message to John Fraser, a longtime friend. Despite assurances to the contrary, it was shown at a public partisan gathering," he added. "Regardless of it being aired privately or publicly, I should never have recorded it."

Fergus told MPs on the committee that he knows he "messed up" and promised that he would never do it again and has put protocols in place to ensure that promise is kept.

Going forward, Fergus said, the Clerk of the House of Commons will be consulted each time a request is made for Fergus to speak at an event or provide a video message.

Fergus said his office is drafting an "evaluation grid" that it will submit to the clerk's office for approval. The grid would help the office decide on the propriety of the Speaker's communications.

The Speaker also said he is consulting speakers in Canada and from "other Westminster parliaments" and will follow their advice.

Fergus said he recorded the message "in between two meetings," explaining why he was wearing his Speakers' robes, and regrets the error in judgment.

"Like anyone taking on a new post, I am learning on the job," he said, admitting that he "blew that call."

Failing to seek advice

Acting Clerk of the House of Commons Eric Janse told the committee Monday morning that Fergus did not consult him or his office to ask if the video was appropriate, but if he had, Janse's advice would have been not to make the video.

Asked by NDP MP Peter Julian why he did not ask Janse, Fergus said he was wrong and that the failure not to seek advice from the clerk was his own fault.

House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus faced a tough grilling by MPs on the Procedure and House Affairs Committee Monday with the Bloc MP DeBellefeuille telling Fergus her party has lost faith in his ability to do his job. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Bloc MP Claude DeBellefeuille was critical of Fergus' decision not to seek advice before making and sending out the video, saying that "judgment is something you have or you don't. You can't learn it."

"You recorded a video, using House resources, that is not allowed, you have to be beyond a shadow of a doubt," she said. "You recorded that in your robes, you presented yourself as Speaker, you did it in your chambers."

Fergus says he'll resign if MPs demand it

Conservative MP Andrew Scheer, who held the Speaker's chair from 2011 to 2015, said MPs in the House of Commons need to have a Speaker that can make decisions without running them through "decision making trees."

"We have to trust that that is coming from a non-partisan and objective place," Scheer told Fergus at committee Monday.

"I would suggest that the fact that you didn't see that suggests you are too close to the partisanship of it, you're too close with these partisan players [to see] that, for members of other parties, it would be a problem."

DeBellefeuille said that while she understands Fergus to be a supporter of democracy and a good person in other respects, it may be better for him to step down after making a mistake she described as "grave."

Speaker of the House of Commons Andrew Scheer rises at the end of Question Period in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Thursday December 15, 2011. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

"I don't know how you think that you are going to be able to regain the trust you've lost," she said. "The Bloc Québécois, what happened with you, your surroundings, we can't continue to trust you."

Fergus said that despite his "embarrassing" misstep, he felt he could regain the trust of the House with "a lot of hard work over a long period of time."

He said that if MPs decide to give him a chance, he will make that effort — but he'll resign if they request it.

"I accept the process and the decision," he said. "I am a servant of the House of Commons so if the House decides that they no longer trust me, and that I can't regain the trust of members of Parliament … of course I will leave."

Liberals show support

Liberal members of the committee were more sympathetic to Fergus's apology and pledge to do better in future.

Liberal MP Terry Dugid, the current parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, thanked the Speaker for being forthright, admitting his mistake and apologizing.

"I certainly accept your apology and also for referencing that this is a position you've been thrust into quite recently and there's a learning curve and mistakes are made," Dugid said.

Liberal MP Sherry Romanado told Fergus that members of the committee had received "many letters" from people demonstrating support for him.

"I think every single one of us in this room has made a mistake in their life. It's what we do with it. We apologize, we learn from it and we move on," Romanado said.

"I want to thank you and let you know that there is support out there for the role model you are playing for young Black Canadians, and I wanted to thank you for that."

Appearing after Fergus, Fraser told the committee he has been a friend of Fergus for more than three decades. He said the video was meant to be a personal surprise and not a political message.

"The video provided by Greg, though it referenced my political activities that brought us together, was deeply personal and a kind, heartfelt gesture from one friend to another," Fraser told the committee Monday.

"Both I and my family were moved by its contents and we're deeply sorry that an innocent request has negatively affected Greg and caused undue attention."

Former interim leader of the Ontario Liberal Party John Fraser told a parliamentary committee Monday that his family is "deeply sorry" Speaker Greg Fergus's video message to him has caused "undue attention." (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

All four major parties agreed to have the committee look into the issue and report back to the House by Thursday of this week with recommendations for how to move forward.

Fergus was elected Speaker in early October after his predecessor, Liberal MP Anthony Rota, stepped down amid controversy.

During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Ottawa in September, Rota recognized in the House of Commons a man who had served in a voluntary unit created by the Nazis to help fight the Soviet Union during the Second World War.