GROW UP, KEITH

There Is No Possible Excuse For MP's Bad Behaviour

I've never witnessed an instance of more disgraceful behaviour in the House
of Commons than that of Canadian Alliance MP Keith Martin grabbing the Mace
and waving it in the air in an outburst of seemingly uncontrollable anger.

It's rare I would agree with the likes of Liberal House Leader Ralph
Goodale -- a simpering, constantly smirking fellow, or Public Works
Minister Don Boudria, a fellow I believe will participate in any piece of
malfeasance, so long it advance the cause of the Liberal party, but their
condemnation of the Victoria MP's actions are entirely justified.

Martin, miffed because a private member's bill he had placed before the
Commons was referred by an entirely democratic and routine vote to be
studied by a committee, rushed and grabbed the historic and ceremonial
Mace, symbol of the Speaker's authority, and waved it in the air.

He then yelled: "Parliament is not a democracy anymore."

And then bolted out of the Commons chamber.

No one, either a sitting MP or retired MP, can recall such an outrage ever
being perpetrated by one of its members.

That's why Boudria and Goodale immediately said Martin deserved to be
severely disciplined.

As he was.

Martin has been suspended from the House until he makes a full apology.

The Commons is a place of decorum and debate.

Of politeness and process.

Of rules and regulations.

It is not a roughhouse for rabble.

If Martin were to get away with his behaviour, the standards of the Commons
would continue to be besmirched with ever-growing frequency.

Eventually the Commons -- and parliamentary democracy -- would be undermined.

Martin's excuse for his shameful act was he had worked for four years on
his private member's bill -- all for naught.

Well, we don't know that.

The bill, to decriminalize the use of marijuana, has been forwarded to the
special parliamentary committee on the non-medical use of drugs.

Perhaps the committee will adopt Martin's ideas, al-though considering the
lives the use of marijuana has helped wreck, one would hope it would not.

That said, private member's bills rarely become law, and Martin himself
must know that.

So was he just grandstanding?

Publicity hunting?

Perhaps.

Martin later added to his erratic behavior by calling the government
"Fascist" and charging it was a "dictatorship."

This is just utterly childish.

It's like the political hoodlums who call the likes of Ronald Reagan or
Margaret Thatcher -- even Sir Winston Churchill -- fascist when, by the
word's very definition, we know they are anything but.

One doubts if Jean Chretien, Paul Martin, Sheila Copps, Allan Rock or most
of the Liberal government's other cabinet ministers or MPs have ever read
the works of Italy's Benito Mussolini or Spain's Jose Antonia Primo de
Rivera on the fascist and falangist philosophy.

Keith, grow up, man, for God's sake, and don't be so petulant.

There have been other outrages before in the Commons.

But none of this magnitude.

New Democrat MP Svend Robinson once heckled Reagan during the president's
speech to Parliament -- an incident no one had previously witnessed -- and
which drew scorn from other MPs, since, Robinson had not only shown
discourtesy to Reagan, but the institution of Parliament itself.

There was the scene when British Prime Minister Tony Blair received a
standing ovation from all sides of the House, except the New Democrats, who
glowered and sat silent, contending Blair had somehow "betrayed" socialism.

Alliance leader Stephen Harper should also publicly rebuke his errant MP.

Harper took the time out to make Ontario MP Cheryl Gallant eat crow for
some witty and cheeky remark she made to Foreign Affairs Minister Bill
Graham, so he should certainly give Martin a slap in the face.

Keith Martin has disgraced his role as an MP, let down the constituents who
put their faith in him, and lowered the esteem of his party.

We need people who respect the House, in the House.