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OTTAWA — The NDP wants to bring civility to the raucous House of Commons with measures that would impose suspensions and even loss of pay for MPs who go too far in personal comments or attacks.

NDP House leader Nathan Cullen says penalties would help curb the behaviour, which often mars question period.

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Cullen says bad behaviour by MPs leaves voters cold and reduces public confidence in Parliament.

He says the current system doesn’t work, because the rewards of misbehaviour outweigh penalties.

The proposed system would include a graduated system of penalties, ranging from warnings to full suspensions.

Parties would also be penalized, by losing the chance to ask some questions in the House.

This comes just a few weeks after NDP leader Tom Mulcair and Government House leader Peter Van Loan almost got into a fight on the floor of the House of Commons.

After a ruling by Speaker Andrew Scheer in the government’s favour, a visibly upset Mr. Van Loan crossed the floor of the Commons to apparently register his annoyance directly with NDP House leader Nathan Cullen.