MP Justin Trudeau and Senator Patrick Brazeau
debate substantive issues
debate substantive issues
National Post
RON MACLEAN
So it's me Ron MacLean here with Don Cherry on House of Commons Night in Canada to discuss the role of fighting in parliamentary democracy. Grapes, I know you've got strong feelings about this...
DON CHERRY
...absolutely...
RON MACLEAN
...so let's get to it. There are some, like Andrew Coyne who suggest that fighting shouldn't be part of the game, even though it has a history.
DON CHERRY
Yeah, we've talked about this before, the fact that the two front benches in the House of Commons are two swords' lengths apart, to avoid violence, but there have been punch-ups in even Westminster style parliaments, Canada's having been one of the most tame.
RON MACLEAN
So what's your take on the Brazeau-Trudeau matchup last week?
IDON CHERRY
I liked it - I'm not gonna lie - and I think both guys were honourable and gave it their best shot, toe-to-toe. It looks a lot more honourable than what went down about the F-35, the government being whining weasels.
RON MACLEAN
What about fights in the Chamber?
DON CHERRY
Well, no, not in this day and age. The car park is another story.
RON MACLEAN
In the British House of Commons Bernadette Devlin punched out Reginald Maudling, "punching and scratching him, and pulling his hair..."
DON CHERRY
Yes, that was unusual, but Devlin was Irish like Brian Burke, and you know those guys don't hold back. Burke didn't want to send down Colton Orr just because the guy couldn't play hockey.
RON MACLEAN
So do you think there should be regular fights in the Commons?
DON CHERRY
I didn't say that, and no, just like I don't think hockey games should be continuous fights. It's a matter of The Code.
RON MACLEAN
The Criminal Code?
DON CHERRY
No, there's a separate code for hockey.
RON MACLEAN
And for the House of Commons?
DON CHERRY
I like Trudeau's approach.
