It took only minutes from Pierre Poilievre’s ouster from the House of Commons during Question Period yesterday for the first boo-hoo fundraising email to be sent out to party donors, falsely claiming the reason why he was ejected as being “censorship” (it was because he did not respect the authority of the Speaker and refused to withdraw a remark when given four opportunities to do so), but it’s not like the truth has ever stopped Poilievre in the past. A few more minutes later, every Conservative MP started putting out tweets also giving a false version of what happened, and they used the word “whacko” over and over again, like toddlers, because of course they did.
That’s not what happened. Unparliamentary language is unparliamentary language. pic.twitter.com/nifnpw2CG3
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) April 30, 2024
Scheer doubles down on being childish. pic.twitter.com/gPG2eyKNRV
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) April 30, 2024
The Liberals were quick to take to the microphone in the Foyer after QP, several in a row, denouncing Poilievre and his actions, and Marc Miller in particular used his talent for blunt speaking in disputing this narrative that Poilievre has somehow been “silenced,” and they quickly circulated the clip of him saying so as well—because everything is about the socials, and we all know it.
When asked if today plays into the narrative that Poilievre is being “silenced,” Miller responds “Who’s being silenced? He doesn’t shut up. It would be great if he could shut his yap once in a while.” #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/vnxI8y23pJ
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) April 30, 2024
It has *become* an irrelevant institution for social media clip generation.
It is supposed to be about public accountability, which it no longer is. https://t.co/iJ4df1aJ7e— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) April 30, 2024
Meanwhile, you had journalists and every flavour of internet troll insisting that the word “whacko” had been used in the Chamber before, but the difference is that it hadn’t been directed to someone in the past, and that’s what makes it unparliamentary (and anyone who doesn’t get the difference doesn’t deserve to be on social media). It also looks like this was indeed the first time a leader of the opposition was named and expelled federally, but it has happened in provinces in the past, for what it’s worth.
I’d have to dig but I’m only aware of Canadian provincial and Australian examples along these lines – for example, Saskatchewan in 1963 saw the Speaker toss the opposition leader (and have his decision upheld 28-17) over failure to withdraw “socialist dishonesty” pic.twitter.com/JUgg3kdujM
— Charlie Feldman (@ParlCharlie) April 30, 2024
Ukraine Dispatch:
Russian guided bombs targeted railway infrastructure in Kharkiv, killing at least one person. The death toll from the attack on the educational institution in Odesa also continued to climb.
The number of people wounded in Russian missile strikes on #Kharkiv on 30 April has risen to 10, the press service of the Oblast Prosecutor's Office reports.
— UkraineWorld (@ukraine_world) April 30, 2024
The cost of diesel went up almost 10% in the past week, while gasoline's prices hit a six-month high, going up by more than 20% when compared to the start of the year, Politico wrote, citing government data.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 1, 2024