'He is a fake, a phony and a fraud': Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre attacks NDP's Jagmeet Brar
The atmosphere in the House quickly deteriorated into angry exchanges between Conservative and NDP members
PTC Web Desk: Tensions escalated between NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during a heated question period in Parliament on Thursday. Singh confronted Poilievre after the Conservative leader criticised both the NDP and Bloc Québécois for refusing to support a non-confidence motion against the Liberal government.
In his remarks, Poilievre accused Singh of abandoning the governing agreement the NDP had with the Liberals, suggesting that Jagmeet Singh's actions were motivated by the desire to retain a seat in a recent Winnipeg byelection. "Once the votes were counted, he betrayed them," Poilievre stated, describing Singh as "a fake, a phony, and a fraud," and questioning the credibility of Singh's future statements.
As Poilievre continued his questioning, Singh rose from his seat and shouted back at the Conservative leader, according to witnesses. Singh reportedly declared, "I'm right here, bro," as he walked into the aisle to confront Poilievre.
The atmosphere in the House quickly deteriorated into angry exchanges between Conservative and NDP members. Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux noted that Singh appeared visibly upset and confrontational, which seemed to entertain Poilievre.
Speaker Greg Fergus attempted to restore order, reminding MPs that their conduct was being observed by Canadians. "Let us conduct ourselves in away befitting of each of our constituencies and the country as a whole," he urged.
The session began with Poilievre questioning the Bloc in French about their lack of support for the Conservative motion, but after a few questions directed at the Bloc, government ministers ceased to respond.