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OTTAWA — Former cabinet minister Jane Philpott rose in the House of Commons Tuesday morning to speak on a point of privilege, asking the Speaker of the House of Commons to consider whetherPrime Minister Justin Trudeau violated the law by “unilaterally” removing her and former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould from the Liberal Party caucus last week.

She appealed to Speaker Geoff Regan to rule that their rights had been denied and their privileges as members of Parliament breached on the basis of the 2015 Reform Act, which set rules around the administration of party caucuses.

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“This matter is urgent. … Procedural fairness and the rule of law demand this. Secret in-camera meetings or private notices should not be a shield to prevent the upholding of the law and members’ rights,” Philpott told the Commons.

“This is very concerning. It speaks to the rule of law at the heart of our democracy,” Conservative MP Michael Chong, who authored the Reform Act, told the National Post in an interview shortly after she made her arguments. So what exactly is this latest foofaraw all about?