Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized to lawmakers Wednesday after an altercation in which he accidentally struck a member of the opposition with his elbow.
Advertisement
Opposition MPs said Trudeau could make amends by withdrawing his government’s motion M-6, which would give them enormous power to control the House agenda and limit the opposition’s ability to slow down debate.
“I think people understand that there is a tremendous amount of pressures that come with this job and I am human”, Trudeau said in his Parliament Hill office, which was dotted with pictures of Trudeau, his family, and his former prime minister father as well as a Lego canoe with four miniature figures in it. Kent was involved in an incident in the House of Commons in December, 2011.
“I’m going to apologize again for an incident in the House this evening that might take away a little bit in the news tomorrow, and for some people, the extraordinary celebration that today is, and the important momentous occasion that this day represents, not just in the story of Sikh and southeast Asian Canadians, but in the story of this country”, Trudeau said.
As he grabbed Brown’s arm, Trudeau struck MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau of the New Democratic Party and caused her to stumble backwards.
Trudeau said that he would accept any punishment meted out.
The prime minister issued another apology to a reception related to Parliament saying sorry for the Komagata Maru incident off the B.C. coast in 1914.
“Whether it’s the eye rolls, sticking out his tongue”, Ambrose said everyone has seen the prime minister’s frustration over the past few weeks. “I’m really determined to see that happen”.
LeBlanc made the announcement at the start of question period Thursday afternoon in response to a question from interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose.
“We were here to vote on how much longer, we, as members of parliament would be allowed to speak on the government’s assisted suicide bill”.
Trudeau maintains that he was just trying to help Brown get through a throng of MPs that had gathered on the floor. “I know, and I regret that my behaviour yesterday failed to meet this standard”.
Advertisement
Speaker Geoff Regan concluded Wednesday there was a prima facie case that Brosseau’s privileges as an MP had been breached, which means the encounter will be examined by an all-party committee.
