Finance Minster Bill Morneau is fighting back after Tory MPs accused him of selling off stock the week before a policy announcement drove share value down and threatened legal action if they made the allegations outside the House of Commons. 

During Monday’s question period Tory MPs targeted Morneau with questions about the timing of the sale of $10 million worth of shares in his family founded human resources firm, Morneau Shepell.

Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre said a motion introduced by Morneau in December 2015 to raise income taxes on the highest earners caused the entire stock market to drop, including Morneau Shepell’s share price.

“You can’t make this stuff up,” Morneau said in an impromptu scrum Tuesday. “The Opposition clearly has no idea how the stock market works.”

When asked if he would consider suing the Opposition, Morneau said, “I am saying absolutely that if the members take the allegations that they’re making inside the House outside the House they will absolutely be hearing how the legal system works from me.”

Members of Parliament are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions or statements made in the House of Commons.