SLOBODIAN: Sometimes it doesn’t seem like Canada anymore

Just when you think the Liberals couldn’t possibly sink to another new low, they rose to bring disgrace upon the House of Commons.Theoretically non-partisan House Speaker Greg Fergus banned Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre from speaking in the House Tuesday. This stemmed from a Monday exchange Poilievre had with Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly who refused to denounce antisemitic and “genocidal chants from hateful mobs” supporting terrorism.Let the gravity of that sink in.Remember that Poilievre — fighting for Canadian values and safety by demanding the Liberals denounce hate-infected mobs as the Conservatives had done — spoke truth and was silenced.Remember that Joly and the Liberals were content to not object, and let the acidic threatening mobs carry on exercising their freedom of speech using loudspeakers to foam and roar.Let the gravity of how twisted that is also sink in.Poilievre gave Joly two chances.Even more disturbing, the exchange that got Poilievre banned occurred on the October 7 anniversary of 1,200 Israelis having been hunted down, burned alive, dismembered, gang-raped and executed by 3,000 crazed Palestinian Hamas terrorists. Of 251 hostages taken, 36 of the 100 not returned are believed to be dead.The maniacal mobs in Canada that Poilievre — and most Canadians — have a problem with, disrupt our streets by celebrating these demons, what they did, and crave more of the same.Joly resorted to a tactic she has used in the past — talking compassion while avoiding accountability. (Remember her ‘compassionate’ exchange a year ago when MP Michael Chong wanted to know why she didn’t expel a Chinese diplomat targeting his family and members of parliament?)Joly ignored Poilievre and proceeded to name the seven Canadians killed in the Hamas attack and said the government stands with the Jewish people. Of course, they should have been recognized in the House and mourned by people whose hearts aren’t seared with hate.But why is it so hard for her to say the government stands with the Canadian people against genocidal mobs?Poilievre called her out, noting she didn’t condemn antisemitism in Canada. Joly refusing to do the decent thing defies logic.But Poilievre, who pressed on, had a theory.“She continues to pander to Hamas supporters in the Liberal Party as part of her leadership campaign rather than doing her job,” Poilievre said, adding that Joly was vying to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.Joly employed another tactic — divert blame to the one calling you out — and accused Poilievre of “gaslighting” and playing politics on a sober day and being “unfit” to become prime minister.Of course, Fergus jumped to the damsel’s defence, demanding Poilievre withdraw the pandering comment. At first, he refused the mob that was protecting the Liberals' indignant demand to shut Poilievre up, until he withdrew it.But Tuesday morning, after a good sleep and no doubt a lot of pressure, Fergus imposed a one-day ban.See, decorum and tender feelings trump the Liberals' feet being held to the fire. And with the diversion, no need to explain why they won’t denounce “genocidal chants for hateful mobs.”Could it be that the Liberals play it safe and talk out of both sides of their mouths when it comes to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict? Now why would they do that? Surely, it has nothing to do with almost two million Muslims in Canada as opposed to less than half a million Jews?Here's the kicker. The artful dodger Joly actually had the nerve to play the victim.Why, she wanted an apology. Don’t mistake Joly for a snowflake though. She is a calculating Liberal who has gotten away with her habit of dodging tough questions by invoking faux compassion. Toss in victimhood and voila!And if Poilievre was wrong, prove it. Prove you aren’t pandering to Hamas supporters. Denounce the barbarians — otherwise, silence really does speak volumes.Meanwhile, Fergus’s concerns about having to maintain parliamentary decorum are valid. Just not this time.Most Canadians wouldn’t agree that Poilievre’s comments were unparliamentary. They wouldn’t see them as having “a corrosive effect on our discussions.”They’d see it as refusing to let the Liberals skirt a critically important issue.They’d see it as a responsible politician tasked with looking after them doing his job!And they’d likely agree with Conservative director of communications Sarah Fischer’s take on Fergus’s shutting Poilievre up.“What a blatant affront to democracy!!!” said Fischer on X. “If you can’t beat them, silence them??”Banning Poilievre was a feeble stretch.It brought undemocratic shame into the House of Commons.Sometimes it doesn’t seem like Canada anymore.