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Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer should eject colleague Michael Cooper from the Tory caucus over things the MP said about online hate in a parliamentary hearing last week, says a Liberal MP.
Edmonton Centre MP Randy Boissonnault says Scheer's decision to remove Cooper from the committee that held the hearing, but not from caucus, shows there's a "revolving door" for bigots in the Conservative party.
During a May 28 meeting on the topic of online hate, Cooper quoted from the manifesto of the man charged with the mass murder in Christchurch, New Zealand in March.
Cooper also named the man, though media and public figures are increasingly trying to deny celebrity to attackers by omitting their names from coverage.
Cooper was responding to testimony from a Muslim witness, Faisal Khan Suri, who told the committee the man responsible for the 2017 attack on a mosque in Quebec City consumed content from "anti-immigrant, alt-right and conservative commentators."
Suri said the man alleged to have carried out the attacks in Christchurch, which left 51 people dead, was influenced by similar content.
"I take great umbrage with your defamatory comments to try to link conservatism with violent extremist attacks," Cooper told Suri. "They have no foundation, they're defamatory, and they diminish your credibility as a witness."
The Conservative MP, who represents St. Albert-Edmonton, released a statement on Facebook Saturday apologizing for the incident, calling it "ill-advised."
"I absolutely should not have quoted these words nor named the perpetrator. This was a mistake," Cooper said. "I apologize to Mr. Suri and to all Canadians. I reiterate that I unequivocally condemn all forms of racism."
A short while later, Scheer released a statement on Twitter saying he had spoken to Cooper and they had agreed the MP would no longer serve on the justice committee. Scheer called the incident "insensitive and unacceptable."
The Tory leader added that he had accepted Cooper's apology and considered the matter closed.
"Mr. Cooper is a good person who made a mistake, and has taken responsibility, and apologized while denouncing hateful rhetoric," he said Monday, in a statement relayed through a spokesman. He condemned Boissonnault for "trying to score cheap political points off of a terrible tragedy" and pointed out that Liberal MPs have crossed the line on social media without serious consequences.
"The only thing that gets you kicked out of the Liberal party is speaking the truth about Justin Trudeau's involvement in the SNC-Lavalin corruption scandal," Scheer concluded.
Suri also called for Cooper to be kicked out of the Conservative caucus.
Boissonnault said Monday that given there are only three weeks left in the parliamentary session, removing Cooper from committee was a "woefully inadequate"and "insufficient" response from Scheer.
Cooper's actions in the committee meeting came the same day Scheer gave a speech in which he said bigots are not welcome in the Conservative party, saying "there's the door" to anyone who believes race, religion, gender or sexual orientation makes them superior.
Comments
As I noted yesterday we all need to check that our brains are in the proper gear before opening our mouths.
There are conservatives and Conservatives, and NATIONALIST CONSERVATIVES. Sometimes hard to make distinctions between them which should be a warning to those who expouse conservatism that there are nasty people out there trying to hi-jack their beliefs.
Is there not still a Federal law put in by conservative leader Harper that says if you quote from hate speech and banned groups you are AIDING AND ABETTING those groups and can be charged with a crime under the stop terrorist legislation????? Why on earth is this man not charged with abetting terrorism then? Off the committee? (say it ain't so--he can sit with LYnn Beyak in the naughty but still collecting tax payers dollars chair for a few weeks)
And he is still the CP "JUSTICE critic????". Please connect their actions with their real policy and not their mock outrage at impugning their pure character.
That's an insult to anyone watching what they do. And the way actual racism works: the ones in power gaslight the feeling of those attacked Classic.
Everything we have seen and heard from A S so far should worry citizens who care about treating one another with equal respect. A.S. was put in power by the evangelical fascist christians (Chris Hedges' term for them) who want us all singing from THEIR prayer book only. Whether he will play them as Harper did is anyone's guess. He believes what they believe though (look at his speeches, his voting record, his own life). Can we say for certain that he won't shut down womens' rights like Kenny and co. want to???
In a political party where the campaign director is a founding member of the extreme right-wing/national front/ KKK loving REbel Media, it's a bit rich to be outraged that people keeping up with what and who is in the CP would connect the dots to global immigrant hating groups. The mock outrage is outrageous!!! Read the vile and incendiary articles REBEL media wrote about the Quebec mosque attack, and their positive comment about thugs at the CHarlottesville march. The man in charge of that hateful "reporting" is now Scheers campaign director. We must assume they believe the same things, have the same "goal". A.S. has been a blank silent slate (DOUG and the thugs NO platform platform anyone??)
Ask yourself why the national press is not focussing on Hamish weekly and asking questions about his extreme background and now his powerful position in a party wanting to lead and country of immigrants?
Michael Cooper gave an explicit and specific comment which Scheer weirdly pronounced as Cooper's having "made a mistake". A comment that directed and composed is not a slip of the tongue - not a mistake, Mr. Scheer. We learn from Mr. Scheer that Michael Cooper is a "good person" ( just in case his remarks led us to conclude otherwise), one who has "taken responsibility" (how?), and accordingly is receiving a wrist-slap. A nauseating and slippery mess, hardly made better by Mr. Scheer's fumbling.