Budget speech interrupted over ‘let her speak’ chants from Conservatives

By The Canadian Press and News Staff

The Federal Conservatives did everything they could to delay and disrupt the budget from being announced in the House of Commons Tuesday.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau was supposed deliver his budget speech at 4 p.m. in the House of Commons, but the Conservatives forced a vote on a motion to allow MPs on the fisheries committee to travel, on which a number of Tory MPs voted both for and against.

They then rose, one by one, afterwards for apologize for voting twice, each managing to work in a denunciation of the Liberals’ refusal to recall Wilson-Raybould to the committee. “Let her speak” was the common refrain.

Some points of privilege and points of order followed, eating up more time. Morneau finally started speaking at 5 p.m. but was drowned out by opposition MPs chanting, “Let her speak.” Commons Speaker Geoff Regan’s calls for order were not heeded.

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer then led the Conservative MPs in a walk-out of the House of Commons. He told reporters his party will use every tool in the toolbox to hold the Trudeau government to account.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told parliament reporter Cormac Mac Sweeney he doesn’t think this is the right way to protest the government, but it’s clear Canadians are not satisfied with this Gov’t and we need a public inquiry

Earlier, Scheer called the budget “a political prop” in its “unprecedented cover-up” of the affair that has cost Trudeau two cabinet ministers and his top adviser and the country its most senior public servant.

Montreal-based SNC-Lavalin finds itself at the centre of a national political storm over allegations prime ministerial aides crossed a line in leaning on Wilson-Raybould to help the company avoid criminal prosecution on corruption charges.

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