Charlie Angus

[Privilege, October 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. I just want to clarify that, for you, it is okay if the Conservatives refer to New Democrats as anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists. Is that your ruling?

I would like to have that ruling clarified. To me, that would stand as a personal attack and beneath the dignity of this House. I am not sure how low the dignity of the House goes these days watching the Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, could you clarify if anti-Semitic attacks or attacks of calling people who are here to do their job anti-Semitic is parliamentary? I personally would be very surprised, but I certainly would like to hear your judgment on this.

[Privilege, October 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, members cannot do indirectly what they cannot get away with directly.

This morning, the Conservatives called us dogs. They called us cockroaches. Now they are throwing anti-Semitic smears. I am here to do—

[Privilege, October 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I am just following up on my colleague. After you asked us to settle down and show respect, the member continued to throw personal attacks at me. It is really unacceptable. I ask you to make sure that he behaves. This is the House of Commons, not a frat house.

[Privilege, October 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that there is so much rage—

[Privilege, October 22nd, 2024]

That was a sweet day.

[Privilege, October 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to my hon. colleague when he talked about food banks and the work of Parliament, work that he and his colleagues are obstructing. We have serious issues, and this issue is meant to be referred to committee.

However, I am very concerned by the recent revelations we are learning from CSIS and other investigations into foreign interference in his party, with key people who supported as leader the man who is now in Stornoway, and by the unwillingness of the Conservatives to name names. It is a fundamental principle that we put our nation above our party. We should certainly put our nation above the partisan interests of the member in Stornoway.

I would like to ask the member about the allegations coming forward now. The Brown campaign, which was taken out by the guy who lives in Stornoway, said, “we knew that local pro-Modi organizations alongside Indian government actors were mobilizing against the Brown campaign as they were concerned with the strong support we had from both the Sikh and Muslim communities.” We know that in the 48 hours before the member for Stornoway won, 70,000 online memberships were sold, which raises questions about how that happened so quickly. A 2024 study published in the International Journal suggests that “foreign actors could influence the selection process of party leadership...simply by purchasing party memberships that distribute ballots in leadership elections without identity verification.”

Is this the reason the man who lives in Stornoway is unable or unwilling to get security clearance? Is it because of the help he got from the Modi government to take control of his party?

[Privilege, October 22nd, 2024]

Madam Speaker, nobody loves a good Liberal scandal like I do. In fact, I made my name on Liberal scandals, because there are so many of them, going all the way back to the rum bottle politics on the Rideau. We could count Liberal scandals. This, to me, is something different. There is a finding of the government refusing to turn over documents. This is now to be sent to committee, which is the process that should take place. There may be a very important finding but what we are dealing with here is the complete obstruction of Parliament by Conservatives who do not want the work of the nation to take place. This is, I find, concerning.

It reminds me of 2009, when Stephen Harper refused to turn over the Afghan detainee documents. That was much more serious, because it spoke to the very heart of our nation. There were allegations of horrific torture that brought down the reputation of Canadian soldiers who were on the front lines in Kandahar. When Harper refused to turn over documents and listen to the will of Parliament, he was actually found in contempt of Parliament; he was the only prime minister found in contempt of Parliament.

What did he do? He shut down Parliament. He shut down our democracy. This is the Conservative record on documents and their refusal to respect democracy. I would suggest that this be sent to committee. Maybe the Prime Minister will be found in contempt by committee. It is the committee's job to ascertain whether the Prime Minister has lived up to his obligation to be transparent. This is the work of Parliament, and I am very concerned that we are now three weeks into obstruction when we have serious issues in our communities that need to be addressed.

[Privilege, October 22nd, 2024]

Madam Speaker, it is typical that they are shouting about tweets when we are talking about CSIS reports. A CSIS report says there were allegations that the Indian consulate informed one leadership candidate, Patrick Brown, that it was not going to allow him at its events. The Indian consulate officials pushed two Conservative MPs to switch their vote for the present member in Stornoway, so we know the Modi cronies supported the man who is now living in Stornoway.

These are issues being raised by CSIS. I want someone to stand up and name the names of the Conservatives who conspired to take down the former Conservative leader and put the man in Stornoway today.

[Privilege, October 22nd, 2024]

Madam Speaker, we should always put the nation above our own partisan interests, but that is not the case with the Conservatives. They are shouting and heckling because of what they do not want on the record, and we are going to put it on the record. For every minute and hour the Conservatives obstruct the House, we will put on the record the political interference by foreign actors that allowed this—

[Privilege, October 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I am only asking for fairness. When you asked the member to withdraw, he decided to use it as a platform to continue personal, denigrating attacks.

The member either withdraws and apologizes or he sits down. If we are going to go into what a dog is, whether it is a good dog or a bad dog, and why someone is like a dog, we could do that all day.

Mr. Speaker, you need to establish fair rules for—