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Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Beaches-East York, Ont.) lost his cool during a Commons public accounts committee hearing yesterday, launching into a profanity-laden tirade against Conservative members. The outburst came as tensions reached a boiling point, with Erskine-Smith bluntly telling his Conservative colleague to “F—k right off.”

The heated exchange kicked off after Conservative MP Rick Perkins (South Shore-St. Margarets, N.S.) accused the Liberals of trying to obstruct the committee’s work, which details embarrassing details about the government's handling of taxpayer money. “I understand the Liberals are upset every time we have a meeting,” Perkins jabbed. “They are upset that we uncover and reveal more Liberal corruption.”

Erskine-Smith shot back with expletives, abandoning the loose parliamentary decorum which remained at Committee. Perkins continued,  accusing Erskine-Smith of being more focused on "trying to rescue his parliamentary career rather than doing his parliamentary work on this committee."

As the clash intensified, Erskine-Smith's behaviour only grew more unhinged, repeatedly using vulgar language despite the committee chair's attempts to restore order. Chair John Williamson (New Brunswick Southwest) tried to intervene, asking Erskine-Smith to retract his inappropriate language, but the Liberal MP refused, claiming he was justified in his outburst due to what he perceived as an attack on his integrity.

“You impugn someone’s integrity, you deserve every language that comes your way,” Erskine-Smith defiantly stated, refusing to back down.

The Public Accounts Committee is currently examining the Green Slush Fund scandal, where Liberals and well-connected insiders used a multi-billion dollar green tech fund as a personal piggy bank.