Liberal Party apologizes to Speaker after controversy erupts over partisan event posting

The Liberal Party of Canada has apologized to Speaker Greg Fergus after partisan language appeared in an ad for an upcoming event in his riding.

The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois are again calling for Fergus to resign from his position as a neutral arbiter of House of Commons proceedings over the ad.

The Liberal Party apologized to Fergus in a letter Tuesday afternoon, saying the language posted on the event page was the auto-populated, standardized language the party uses for events on its website.

The language was posted without Fergus's knowledge and «as a result of a miscommunication between the Party and the riding association,» said the letter from Azam Ishmael, the party's national director.

«The Liberal Party unequivocally apologizes to you for this mistake, and we take full responsibility.»

In a lengthy letter sent to Fergus on Tuesday, Conservative MP Chris Warkentin said the online posting for «A Summer Evening with the Honourable Greg Fergus» included a line that took aim at leader Pierre Poilievre — accusing him of pursuing Conservative policies «that would risk our health, safety and pocketbooks» while promoting a Liberal plan to «grow an economy that works for everyone.»

The ad for the planned June event used «very partisan, inflammatory language,» the Alberta MP said.

Warkentin's letter earlier Tuesday added that the event was being promoted «by attacking the very same leader whom you recently used your authority to kick out of the House of Commons, allegedly for his choice of wording.»

That's a reference to Fergus's decision to remove Poilievre from the Commons last month after he refused to retract a comment calling the prime minister and his policies «wacko.» Warkentin said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau