Conservative MP Damien Kurek was kicked out of the House of Commons Wednesday after he called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a liar.
Kurek, who represents the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, accused Trudeau and the Liberal caucus of lying after leveling the accusation that the prime minister met with Senators over the weekend, pressuring them to scrap Bill C-234.
The bill was initially introduced in February 2020 by Conservative MP Philip Lawrence and aimed to give farmers an exemption from the carbon tax levied on natural gas and propane used in farming operations.
Farmers use these fuels when undertaking tasks like grain drying and to maintain the temperature of certain agricultural buildings.
Initially, the bill was supported by all opposition parties and ascended to the Senate, where it was blocked after Senator Bernadette Clement brought forth a motion to adjourn the debate regarding the bill last week.
Clement, who is part of the “Independent Senators Group,” did so right before the bill’s third and final reading.
The motion to adjourn was backed by 29 senators, with 24 opposing and 37 abstaining.
In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Kurek said, “I know for a fact that farmers are asking that minister to axe the carbon tax.”
“That PM promised that the Senate would be independent but the actions this past week proved that that is a complete farce. We know he bullied his senators. The PM himself was on the phone over the weekend telling them that they had to gut Bill C-234. The prime minister lied and his minions continue to lie…”
Kurek’s last words were drowned out by raucous applause and booing. He was then asked to apologize by the Speaker; however, Kurek refused.
“Mr. Speaker I will not apologize to that prime minister when he continues to lie about the impact of the carbon tax and the independence of the senate,” replied Kurek.
The speaker told Kurek that he cannot use the word ‘liar’ in the chamber and asked him to apologize again.
“It’s the truth, It’s the truth,” replied Kurek. “I will not apologize to the prime minister Mr. Speaker.”
He was then asked to leave the House of Commons.
Should the exemption be granted, it would save Canadian farmers an estimated $1 billion dollars by 2030, according to a report from the Parliamentary Budget Office.
