Liberal senators join MPs in walkout over AG pick
The entire Liberal caucus walked out on a House of Commons vote Thursday morning to protest an “abuse of process” in the appointment of Canada’s new auditor general. By mid-afternoon, the Liberal Senate caucus had followed suit.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s pick of Michael Ferguson, the former auditor general of New Brunswick, has been controversial because Ferguson is not bilingual. Fluency in both official languages was one of the requirements of the position as posted by the government.
Liberal interim leader Bob Rae,burberry outlet cheap seen during question period in the House of Commons Thursday, led a walkout of Liberal MPs during an earlier vote to approve the Conservatives’ choice of auditor general.Liberal interim leader Bob Rae, seen during question period in the House of Commons Thursday, led a walkout of Liberal MPs during an earlier vote to approve the Conservatives’ choice of auditor general. Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press
MPs were called to the House to vote on a motion that “the House approve the appointment of Michael Ferguson as the auditor general of Canada for a term of ten years.”
The Liberals walked out approximately two minutes before the vote was scheduled to start.
“The government unilaterally and in our view illegally changed the rules in the middle of the game,” interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae told reporters after leaving the chamber. “Can you imagine what will happen to every other job posting in the public service of Canada if the government of the day in appointing an officer of Parliament says the rules don’t apply to us?”
Flanked by his caucus, Rae said the Liberals “will not sanction or legitimize this process by participating in a vote which we believe is fundamentally illegitimate. This process is that wrong and that bad.”
Rae said he spoke with three constitutional lawyers overnight who all agree there is a serious problem with the process followed in this appointment.
“I can assure you the battle does not end here. The battle just begins here,” Rae said.
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