Harper Gets Shouted Down in Parliament

During question period today in response to Stephane Dion's question about the practice of loading the judicial advisory councils with tory partisans, Stephen Harper apparently decided that that was the perfect opportunity to bring up this Vancouver Sun article about a Liberal MP's father-in-law whose name was found to be on a list of people questioned by the RCMP in relation to the Air India bombing case.

Harper: Mr Speaker, obviously the Liberal party opposes the change we've made which is to give the police a voice in this process. I'm not surprised, Mr Speaker, given what I'm reading in the Vancouver Sun today when I read this is how the Liberal party makes decisions.

"The Vancouver Sun has learned that the father-in-law of the member of parliament for Mississauga-Brampton..."

At that point, an uproar ensued in the house after which the speaker moved on to a question by a BQ member.

That was low-down dirty guilt-by-association smear politics at its worst.

When Dion asked Harper to apologize later during question period, Harper refused and said the Liberals should apologize instead for not supporting the anti-terror measures that are coming up for review. And when he was asked yet again by another member, he said he didn't need to apologize because he didn't say anything (since he'd been shouted down first). Typically arrogant tap-dancing by a prime minister with no scruples whatsoever.

Do you want to let our so-called prime minister know how you feel about this kind of behaviour? Contact him here:

You can send your comments by e-mail to pm@pm.gc.ca or write or fax the Prime Minister’s office at:

Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa
K1A 0A2

Fax: 613-941-6900

Note: When Harper began to supposedly read what the Vancouver Sun article said, as he stated in the house, it seems he changed the wording:

The Vancouver Sun has learned that Bains's father-in-law, Darshan Singh Saini, is on the RCMP's potential list of witnesses at investigative hearings designed to advance the Air India criminal probe.

Update: CTV has the story and the video.

Angry Ralph:


You can read the Liberals' press release here.