It all began during a charged vote Tuesday evening on imports of milk proteins.
The opposition had been heckling Quebec Conservative MP Jacques Gourde, parliamentary secretary to the agriculture minister, for voting against the motion that would have aided Quebec dairy farmers.
Gourde responded with a rude arm gesture toward the opposition.
That set the House into an uproar. The opposition parties began yelling, and the Conservatives - still in the middle of voting - began to tell each other what had just transpired. Even Justice Minister Vic Toews discreetly showed another MP the gesture in question.
But Tory MP Pierre Poilievre showed the gesture to a seatmate in full view, creating yet another outcry among the opposition, who interpreted it as another affront.
One after another, representatives from the Liberals, Bloc Quebecois and NDP demanded an apology.
"That's something totally unacceptable among MPs," said NDP whip Yvon Godin.
Gourde responded by saying he was trying to mimic an arm-wrestle.
"If it was misinterpreted, I apologize," Gourde said.
Sadly, its for real. Sigh. What's that saying about immates running the prision?
1 comment:
Question period has become a huge joke, and so has politics in this country. I've almost had it up to **here** with all the rhetoric that goes on.
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