Motion allows speaker not to recognize MPP Randy Hillier at Queen's Park

Ontario's legislature unanimously passed a motionauthorizing the Speaker to bar LanarkFrontenacKingston MPP Randy Hillierfrom participating in the chamber.

A motion moved by Government House Leader Paul Calandraon Tuesday says thehouse expresses its disapproval ofHillier's "continueddisreputable conduct."

It calls on the independent MPP to apologize for what Calandra called racist anddiscriminatory statements about federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, and for social media posts that Calandra says wereinsinuating a call to violence.

The motion says the Speaker is authorized to not recognizeHillier in the legislature until he publishes written apologies and theSpeaker is satisfied of their sincerity.

MPP outspoken against COVID-19 mandates

Hillier has frequently posted COVID-19 misinformation andconspiracy theories throughout the pandemic, has been ticketed forallegedly breaking public health rules, and has more recentlysupported and attended the Ottawa occupation by anti-vaccine mandateprotesters.

Hillierapologized in November for a post in which he used namesand photos of people who had died to suggest without evidence thatthey had died due to COVID-19 vaccination.

That came after a previous unanimous motion of the legislaturecondemning Hillier's "string of disreputable conduct."

Hillier previously violated mask rules at the legislature fourtimes, trying to enter the members' lobby to vote instead wearing aface shield. The Sergeant-at-Arms prevented him from enteringbecause of it, and Hillier alleged it breached parliamentaryprivilege.The Speaker ruled against him at the time.