Mr. Speaker, with respect to the same question of privilege, since the matter has been brought forth, I would like to express what I saw and experienced last night.
As my hon. colleague said, we had just ended. I witnessed that the Speaker's eye went to the government House leader, and then we adjourned. That is what I saw. I also did see and hear the NDP member for London—Fanshawe come literally storming up to the Speaker's chair in a very physically and verbally aggressive way.
After that, when members were telling the member to calm down because her actions were obviously very inappropriate and unprofessional, she lashed out and attacked many members, in fact saying that they were intoxicated; this was to members who do not drink at all, for many reasons. It was very inappropriate.
The member then proceeded to come over to my desk. I felt physically intimidated. I hardly said anything because I was so in shock from what was going on. The member for London—Fanshawe, the member for Edmonton Griesbach and the member for Port Moody—Coquitlam came into my space, yelling at a colleague of mine, telling them to stand back, even though the colleague had not moved and even though the other members were actually in the space.
I feel that my privileges were infringed on. I have never in my professional career experienced anything like that with respect to the level of aggression and unprofessional behaviour that was occurring. I was quite shaken last night, actually.
Further to that, with respect to votes, I have been in this place listening, in particular to the NDP members, during many votes, being very aggressive, heckling and yelling “shame” very loudly and aggressively. We take it in this place. Now they are bringing a matter forth from what was a confidence vote last night. I have heard many of the members, for hours on end sometimes, saying comments that are completely meant to provoke and to make members feel like they are not representing their constituents. We hear it all the time from the NDP.
I am not sure whether it is because the New Democrats are just frustrated by the fact that they were in an agreement that was then ripped up. They do not have the same level of control anymore, yet now they are still continuing to support the government in confidence votes. They are in a situation that maybe they are frustrated with. Maybe they cannot conceptualize how they are dealing with it.
I just want to make clear that what occurred last night after we rose, from the NDP, was very intimidating. I was packing up. I got up and I stepped back because I actually felt so physically threatened. Having people rushing at a colleague, right in my space, coming right over to my desk and touching the desk that I sit at, was something I had never experienced.
Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I hope that you take that into consideration as you are working on the issue, and I also hope that you will really think about it. I feel that my privilege last night was taken. I should be able to work in a safe place. I should be able to come and represent my constituents, vote the way that I believe my constituents want me to vote, without having the level of intimidation that occurred last night.