Things got heated in a Tuesday House of Commons exchange between Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
The politicians were going back and forth about several issues in Question Period, including the economy, carbon tax, and the opioid crisis, leading Freeland to make her comment.
“Mr Speaker, the Conservative leader is wearing more makeup than I am today,” she said as her Liberal party member laughed in the background. Soon after, boos and jeers could be heard in the House.
The exchange begins in the video at the 6:30 mark:
Speaker Greg Fergus ordered Freeland to withdraw her remarks. “We don’t comment on the appearances of members,” he said.
Freeland then apologized and withdrew her comment, then going on to call Poilievre “phony all the way through.”
“He is phony when it comes to his concern about the economy; all he can do is talk our country down. And he is phony when he talks about his concern about the opioid crisis; he tries to score cheap partisan points. It’s just not right, Mr.Speaker.”
Freeland’s comments come weeks after Poilievre was kicked out of Question Period for calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a “wacko” and refusing to withdraw his comments.
Video of the incident showed Poilievre standing to speak about Trudeau’s support for BC’s drug decriminalization policy.
Pierre Poilievre refused to withdraw his comments a number of times before being removed from the House for the day for disregarding the rules of the House pic.twitter.com/U3TP0Osoh7
— Polling Canada (@CanadianPolling) April 30, 2024
Poilievre referred to the policy as “wacko” and added that it was being backed by a “wacko prime minister.”
After being asked a few times by the Speaker to withdraw his comments, the Conservative leader was eventually ordered to leave Question Period for the day.