Conservative MP Removed From House for Accusing Liberal MP of ‘Lying’ About Gun Control Bill

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security Chair Raquel Dancho waits to begin a meeting in Ottawa on Aug. 16, 2022. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Conservative MP Raquel Dancho was ejected from the House of Commons on Dec. 8, after she accused a Liberal MP of lying during question period and refused to apologize.

Vance Badawey, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of Indigenous Services, said the Conservatives have been obstructing testimony at the House public safety committee regarding the Liberals’ gun control legislation, Bill C-21. A recent proposal from the government to amend the bill would expand the scope of prohibited firearms to include hunting rifles, which some members of the opposition said would hurt the rights of legal gun owners and that of indigenous people.

In response to Tory MP Dane Lloyd, who said Bill C-21 is “attacking law-abiding hunters and indigenous treaty rights,” Badawey said the Liberal, NDP, and Bloc Québécois MPs on the committee have called for more meetings to hear more testimonies to potentially resolve the problems with the bill.

“Unfortunately, the Conservatives, Mr. Speaker, continue to be part of the problem versus being part of the solution. Mr. Speaker, the mission here is to get guns off the street and,” Badawey continued.

At this point, Dancho was heard yelling “You’re lying,” according to a parliamentary audio recording.

There is a list of “unparliamentary language“ that MPs are prohibited from uttering during debates, including accusing another MP of lying. Citing House of Commons Standing Orders, the speaker asked Dancho to withdraw her statement and apologize, but she refused.

Dancho defended her statement as she spoke to reporters outside of the chamber, with several members of her party standing behind her.

“Today, I was removed from the Commons for telling the truth,” she said in a video posted on her social media. “A Liberal accusing us of being the problem, insinuating that we are obstructionist, is the most hypocritical thing I have heard in the three years I’ve been elected member of this Parliament.”

“Feedback we get from our constituents is that the Liberal government does not ask the question, but they don’t tell the truth. And so today we’ve had enough of this and I call them out for lying, which they lie. And I will say it again out here, they lied today in the House of Commons.”

Liberal House leader Mark Holland told the National Post the speaker was right to remove Dancho, and said her actions were “inappropriate.”

“I lament the fact that she chose not to apologize. And let me reiterate that the way in which we talk to each other matters, screaming at one another is not what Canadians expect us to be doing,” he said.

Holland also defended Bill C-21, saying it’s intent is not to target hunters.

“The fact that there are concerns that have been raised by the hunting community is something that we take deeply seriously, and we’ve heard that within our own caucus, we’ve heard that within other parties. And that’s why we need to take the time,” he said.