A Commons committee descended into chaos Wednesday afternoon when Conservative cabinet ministers showed up uninvited, demanded to be heard, and insults began flying between MPs.

Transport Minister John Baird, Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis and junior science minister Gary Goodyear arrived at the government operations committee in place of staffers who had been called to speak.

The committee is probing allegations that former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer and his business partner illegally lobbied government officials. The Tory government recently announced a new policy barring cabinet ministers' staffers from accepting invitations to appear at committees.

The proceedings quickly turned into a scene unbecoming of elected officials when Baird began shouting, questioning whether the committee chair knew what she was doing and declared himself ready to answer questions about the goings-on in his office.

"Any member of Parliament, any one of the 308 members of Parliament, are entitled to come to committee, they are entitled to be heard," Baird said.

"And Madame Chair, while I cannot vote, I am an elected member of Parliament and I am here to be heard. And I appreciate that it only took me 50 times to be able to ask to be heard, because you don't know the rules, and it is an absolute disgrace. I'm here as a member of Parliament, and I have every right to be heard."

Committee chair and Liberal MP Yasmin Ratansi told Baird that "you are speaking as a witness, so decide what you want. You can't have it both ways..."

Baird interrupted to say he never claimed to be a witness, to which Ratansi retorted: "Good, ‘bye."

In another exchange, committee member and Liberal MP Siobhan Coady said "bullies in the schoolyard should never be listened to."

"Are you trying to intimidate me, Minister Baird?" Coady later yelled. "Because I'll put myself up against you any day on intimidation factors. Don't try to intimidate me, ever!"

The issue of whether cabinet ministers or their staffers should appear before committees has grown increasingly contentious in the weeks after the government announced its new policy.

The Conservatives say that because ministers are responsible for what happens in their offices, they should be the ones to appear before committees.

The opposition argues that committees have the right to call whomever they wish.

While MPs shouted at each other across the floor, Ratansi finally ruled, with the support of Liberal and Conservative committee members, that the ministers could testify.

However, Bloc Quebecois and NDP committee members criticized the ministers' actions.

"The ministers are proving an obvious arrogance and contempt toward this committee that was created democratically by the rules of the Commons," Bloc MP Michel Guimond said. "That's a contempt for democracy."

NDP MP Nathan Cullen said: "My mom always said it was rude to show up at a party you weren't invited to."

The Commons ethics committee is also bumping up against the new Tory policy. Committee chair Paul Szabo said the committee has issued a summons to Dimitri Soudas, the prime minister's communications director, who has failed to appear before the committee despite being asked.

The ethics committee is investigating political interference in document requests made via the Access to Information Act.

Baird had previously made an appearance before the ethics committee on behalf of Soudas and declared then his intention to also appear in place of staffers before the operations committee.