Liberals calling for calm in House of Commons after Trudeau accused of dropping ‘F-bomb’

FILE - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons on April 27, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Posted May 5, 2022 6:21 am.

Last Updated May 5, 2022 3:03 pm.

The Trudeau government is calling for calm in the House of Commons following accusations the prime minister yelled the ‘F-word’ on Wednesday.

Opposition house leader John Brassard claimed the profanity left the prime minister’s mouth during a heated exchange in question period.

Government House Leader Mark Holland says he is hoping for a more civil tone in the house on Wednesday.

“I’m expecting things to be more even,” he says. “Yesterday was a very emotional day.”

The House of Commons live stream did not appear to pick up any utterance of the word. Deputy Speaker Chris d’Entremont was asked to review the recording and says he couldn’t hear if the word was said due to noise in the House. He added there was unparliamentary language used from both sides of the floor.

Holland said he will remind MPs about the use of unparliamentary language in the House.

The prime minister’s office would not confirm whether or not the word was actually said.

“What is the nature of your thoughts, gentlemen, when you say you move your lips in a particular way?,” said Trudeau when asked about his alleged use of profanity.

The quote resembles a line used by Pierre Elliott Trudeau when he was asked about directing foul language towards the opposition while he was prime minister in 1971:

“What is the nature of your thoughts, gentlemen, when you say fuddle-duddle or something like that?”

The elder Trudeau mentioned the words “fuddle duddle” as an ambiguous answer to when he was questioned about what he may have said.

“I can tell you what I heard and what my colleagues heard, and it wasn’t fuddle duddle,” says Brassard, referring to the younger Trudeau’s alleged outburst.

Brassard says about a dozen of his Conservative colleagues heard it also, but he was short on specifics about the actual phrase that was used.

Trudeau is accused of dropping the ‘F-bomb’ when Conservative MPs were asking about whether or not a military plane had been used as surveillance during the “Freedom Convoy” protests in the nation’s capital in February.

“I don’t think he liked the line of questioning today and that’s why he reacted,” said Brassard.

Generally if ‘unparliamentary’ words were used by an MP, the individuals apologizes and the matter is settled.

The only serious consequences come if an MP is found to have used unparliamentary language and refuses to apologize. They are generally given a few chances, and if the refusal continues then the speaker could kick them out of the House for remainder of the sitting #cdnpoli

— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) May 5, 2022