Ontario NDP a political embarrassment

On April 16, 2015, the leader of the Ontario NDP, the member from Timmins-James Bay, the member from Nickel Belt and the member from Hamilton-Stoney Creek were dismissed from the Ontario Legislature by the Sergeant-at-Arms for the rest of the day.

The remaining third-party members were warned by the Speaker of the House and many of them were dismissed as well.

These very strong disciplinary measures, handed out by the Speaker of the House, were caused by disruptive behaviour initiated by the Ontario NDP. The Speaker of the House tried to get the third-party members to come to order.

However, the third-party members decided to ignore the Speaker’s request and continue to bang on their desks in the Ontario Legislature, causing such a ruckus that most of Question Period was completely disrupted.

The purpose of Question Period (or officially known as Oral Questions) is to seek information from the government and to call it to account for its actions. The Ontario NDP continually professes they will keep the government accountable for its actions. Today’s actions certainly don’t support their statement.

I find it very disheartening that a Member of Provincial Parliament and the leadership of the third party do not understand the format of Question Period. A typical Question Period would start with the leader of the Official Opposition asking the lead question with two supplemental questions permitted.

When the Official Opposition has exhausted its initial three questions, the lead questioners of the other officially recognized opposition parties are permitted an initial question and one supplementary in order of size. Throughout the remainder of Question Period, Members of officially recognized parties ask questions in rotation based upon party representation in the Ontario Legislature.

The NDP now sit at 20 (out of 107) members after losing the Sudbury riding. Clearly, when you understand the format of Question Period, the members of the third party were not silenced. The Ontario NDP does not have sufficient representation in the Ontario Legislature to allow for additional questions.

Bottom line here … the NDP ran out of questions and are saying they were silenced to promote themselves as fighting for a cause instead of playing by the rules.
As a taxpayer, I am appalled by the actions of the Ontario NDP caucus and leadership.

James Tregonning
Coniston