Ontario MPP Hillier Could Reportedly Be Barred From Legislature If He Doesn't Apologize
It's reportedly over his "continued disreputable conduct."
One of Ontario's most vocal independent MPPs, Randy Hillier, might actually soon be barred from participating in the legislature if he doesn't submit a sincere apology.
On February 22, a motion was moved by Government House Leader Paul Calandra which expressed the house's disapproval of the Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston MPP's "continued disreputable conduct", CBC News reports.
"That the Speaker is authorized to not recognize the member for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston until the Speaker has received copies of the member's written apologies and is satisfied of their sincerity," Calandra said in a video shared by CTV News reporter Colin D'Mello.
A spokesperson from the Government House Leader's Office told Narcity that the House is demanding that Hillier "make written apologies for his behaviour to the Hon. Omar Alghabra, PC, MP, and to this House, by way of the Speaker, and publish his written apologies and desist from further conduct that is inappropriate and unbecoming of a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario."
More specifically, the House is looking for Hillier to apologize for his "racist and discriminatory statements" about the federal Cabinet Minister, and for his social media posts that could be construed as a call to violence.
Hillier has been vocal in his support for the Freedom Convoy, which occupied Ottawa's streets for weeks and whose protests brought Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to invoke the Emergencies Act for the very first time.
The MPP has also questioned the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines as well as defied Ontario's public health measures when they were put in place.
Back in November, Hillier apologized for one COVID-19 post he put on his social media that claimed people died shortly after getting vaccinated against COVID-19 after he received "1,000 calls and emails" about it.
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