OTTAWA - Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer will screen video from last week's marathon voting session to determine whether two Liberal MPs used Nazi salutes to express their frustration over the omnibus budget bill.

Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver accused P.E.I. Liberal MP Wayne Easter and Vancouver's Hedy Fry of directing the universally condemned gesture last Thursday at Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Both MPs denied the charge.

Oliver raised the matter Monday because neither MP apologized when first confronted with the allegations, nor did they apologize to him privately.

"It was, in fact, the member from Malpeque and the member from Vancouver Centre who raised their arms in a rigid position at a 45-degree angle, clearly the gesture of the Nazi salute," Oliver said in the Commons.

"There was no ambiguity. When I saw it I said 'disgusting' in their direction."

Easter said such a salute would be vile and unacceptable.

"There was no such salute from me. I sat in my chair and I pointed at the prime minister ... It wasn't a wag, Mr. Speaker, and it was not and should not have been construed as a salute," he said, demonstrating the expression he used.

Conservative MP Chris Warkentin said he was in the Commons last Thursday and supported Oliver's version.

"Unfortunately it wasn't as he (Easter) describes now."

Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae, who called Harper a dictator and corrupt last week, stood behind Easter, saying MPs were in the midst of 23 hours of voting and body language could have been misread.

He also reminded the House that he has been called anti-Israel while other Liberals have been compared to Hitler and called anti-Semitic.

"What we have today ... is a clear statement from the member for Malpeque that he did not in fact make any such gesture, something could have been misunderstood or misinterpreted."

Fry was in Vancouver and unavailable to comment, but a senior staffer said the accusations are false.

It is unlikely Scheer will find anything because of the outdated system in the Commons used to record events and rules that prevent most things from being filmed.

Mark.Dunn@sunmedia.ca

Twitter:MarkDunnSun