Alberta Liberal MLA tossed from legislature

A Liberal MLA from Edmonton was ordered out of the legislative chamberTuesday afternoon after refusing to withdraw a question, the first such ejection in nine years.

Bharat Agnihotri still represents Edmonton-Ellerslie but is barred from the chamber. Agnihotri, whose MLA salary will be suspended,will only be allowed back in if he apologizes and if all the members agree to let him resume his seat in the legislature.

"I'm shocked," he said. "I asked very tough questions, but they were all fair questions. But you know this government, they show us their true colours and if they really want to prove they are accountable they should answer my question."

Before he was tossed, Agnihotri was asking about more than $2 million in grants awarded to various groups over a three-year period.

"Can this minister assure this house that groups receiving this special treatment are not secret friends of top Tories?" he said.

He wanted to know if any formerConservative leadership candidates had ties to any of those groups. Those candidates includeEd Stelmach, who is now the premier, but it was former candidate and health minister Dave Hancock who was most upset about the question.

"All we have in this house really is our ethic and if you're going to call into question my ethics and my integrity you better have something solid to show about it."

Hancock complained to Speaker Ken Kowalski.

Kowalski asked Agnihotri three times to withdraw his question. He refused and was told to leave. Agnihotri remains unapologetic.

"I put a very fair question to this government and they did not answer my question. I am disappointed, but today my answer is: I'm not going to apologize."

Kowalski said this is the first ejection from the Alberta legislature in nine years.