Justin Trudeau elbows NDP MP, huge uproar sparks in the House of Commons

[Odd.]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-conservative-whip-1.3588407

 

Quote

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was accused of "manhandling" Opposition Whip Gord Brown and elbowing NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau in the House of Commons as MPs gathered for a vote on the government's assisted-dying bill Wednesday afternoon.

In video from the House, Trudeau is seen walking toward Brown in a crowd of MPs in the Commons' aisle, taking his arm in an apparent effort to move Brown towards his seat. While doing so, he encountered Brosseau, who was also standing in the aisle and was seen physically reacting after the contact.

NDP House Leader Peter Julian accused Trudeau of "manhandling" Brown, as MPs on all sides of the House shouted and Speaker Geoff Regan struggled to regain order in the House. 

NDP MP Tracey Ramsey said the prime minister swore as he approached Brown and the opposition benches. "He said 'get the bleep out of the way,'" she said, adding Trudeau "violently" grabbed Brown.

• Justin Trudeau accused of 'childish behaviour' in House of Commons

Sources told CBC News the word Trudeau used was the f-word — a profane utterance that decades earlier landed his father, Pierre Trudeau, in hot water in the same House of Commons.

But it was Trudeau's actions that provoked the most concern and anger from opposition benches.

MPs were just about to vote on time allocation for bill C-14, the government's physician-assisted dying legislation.

The prime minister later said he felt Brown was walking too slowly ahead of the vote.

After the incident, the prime minister again crossed the floor and engaged in a loud and apparently heated conversation with NDP Leader Tom Mulcair.

"What kind of man elbows a woman? It's pathetic! You're pathetic!" Mulcair can be heard on tape shouting at Trudeau.  

An emotional Brosseau said later in the House that she had been "elbowed in the chest by the prime minister," bringing Trudeau to his feet once again to "apologize unreservedly."

Brosseau said she was so upset from the incident that she had to leave the chamber, subsequently missing the vote.

Her NDP MP colleague, Niki Ashton, said she was deeply troubled by Trudeau's actions.

"I am ashamed to be a witness to the person who holds the highest position in our country do such an act. I want to say that for all of us who witnessed this, this was deeply traumatic, what I will say, if we apply a gendered lens, it is very important that young women in this space feel safe to come here and work here," she said.

"He made us feel unsafe and we're deeply troubled by the conduct of the prime minister of this country."

In a second attempt at an apology, Trudeau said he took full responsibility for the "unadvisable course of actions."

"I want to take the opportunity ... to be able to express directly to [Brosseau] my apologies for my behaviour and my actions, unreservedly. The fact is in this situation, where I saw ... I noticed that the whip opposite was being impeded in his progress, I took it upon myself to go and assist him forward, which I can now see was unadvisable as a course of actions that resulted in physical contact in this House that we can all accept was unacceptable," he said. 

"I look for opportunities to make amends directly to the member and to any members who feel negatively impacted by this exchange and intervention."

Julian said later what transpired was simply unacceptable.

"There is not a parallel in contemporary Canadian history. We hear about members becoming physical in other countries but that is not Canada," Julian said as MPs raised points of privilege after the vote.

Conservative MP Peter Van Loan said it was an "extraordinary example of physical intimidation." 

"I witnessed as [Trudeau] strode across the floor with an anger fierce, in his face and eyes, towards a group of individuals. What took place was the prime minister physically grabbing people, elbowing people, hauling them down the way," he said.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said she witnessed "mischief" on the floor leading up to the incident, and added she saw the prime minister approach Brosseau to offer an apology shortly after the altercation.

Pretty shocking, but man does Mulcair have a face only a mother could love.

[inane]

whatever. At least they give a shart unlike previous gov's.

[Nuxfanabroad]

This is obviously a result of anthropogenic climate disruption!

 

:^)

[babych]

He should have given her the People's Elbow...

[nuckin_futz]

Certainly not cool behavior but from the headline I was expecting something more like this.

 

 

 

 

If you're going to duke it out, duke it out or stay on your own side.

 

[Warhippy]

I am unsure what kind of wilting daisies reside in the house but please. Conduct yourselves on behalf of the people you choose and have the privilege to represent. 

Blowing such tripe out of proportion, I will be shocked if the NDP MP in question does not seek work benefits after such a vicious attack. 

Honestly, I cannot imagine how this farce of a house would survive should canada ever come under true attack from a foreign enemy if a jostling more gentle than what occurs at a busy transit stop manages to bring the house to a standstill

[CaptainCanuck001]

I was reading about the incident on Twitter before I saw the video, expecting to see a Matt Cooke style elbow or Trudeau climbing on top of desk to deliver a flying elbow drop ala Macho Man. Then I saw the video and couldn't help but think if this was a joke. 

 

The reaction of the MP who got "elbowed" was Oscar worthy, something the Italian national soccer team could be proud of. 

 

[-SN-]

4 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

I am unsure what kind of wilting daisies reside in the house but please. Conduct yourselves on behalf of the people you choose and have the privilege to represent. 

Blowing such tripe out of proportion, I will be shocked if the NDP MP in question does not seek work benefits after such a vicious attack. 

Honestly, I cannot imagine how this farce of a house would survive should canada ever come under true attack from a foreign enemy if a jostling more gentle than what occurs at a busy transit stop manages to bring the house to a standstill

Well said. 

 

The NDP should accept the apology and quietly move on. The crybaby attention seeking is doing them no favours. 

[DeNiro]

NDP calling for Trudeau to resign in 3....2.....1...

[Warhippy]

4 minutes ago, StealthNuck said:

Well said. 

 

The NDP should accept the apology and quietly move on. The crybaby attention seeking is doing them no favours. 

Well in Trudeau's defense, Brown and Brousseau had it coming after the bat flip at last years house of commons ball game 

 

[-SN-]

True. Suspensions incoming for all involved. 

[AriGold]

12 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

I am unsure what kind of wilting daisies reside in the house but please. Conduct yourselves on behalf of the people you choose and have the privilege to represent. 

Blowing such tripe out of proportion, I will be shocked if the NDP MP in question does not seek work benefits after such a vicious attack. 

Honestly, I cannot imagine how this farce of a house would survive should canada ever come under true attack from a foreign enemy if a jostling more gentle than what occurs at a busy transit stop manages to bring the house to a standstill

Hit the nail on the head. 

 

Can't believe this is a story.. And that poor woman who had to leave the House of Commons because the PM's elbow grazed her chest by accident. She should probably take the new few months off to re-cooperate.

 

You know, just to be safe...

[nucklehead]

Just taking a page out of his mentors playbook

[Twilight Sparkle]

trudeau suspended 8 games. canada gets it wrong

[Cerridwen]

What a fuddle duddling tempest in a teapot. 

 

Just watched the vid and like others have mentioned, was expecting to see a flying forearm smash or something. OMG, Brousseau gets accidentally bumped as Trudeau turns and the NDP start screaming "Murder, murder, assault, assault" Holy frickin' crybabies, Batman.. And Brousseau's comment that she was so upset she had to leave the chamber and miss the vote? Is she made of china or porcelain or what?

 

 

Quote

It was very overwhelming and so I left the chamber to go and sit in the lobby. I missed the vote because of this."

 

What a whiner.......no sympathy here.

[Oliewud]

what a bunch of dysfunctional LOSERS. we should be allowed to vote via social security # to remove people like this immediately from serving in our government.

absolutely childish. 

[falcon45ca]

Mountains out of molehills.

[nuckin_futz]

Not that this has anything to do with this incident.

 

I thought the name of the woman who got elbowed rang a bell. She's the one nicknamed the Vegas MP.

 

Before they knew her name, she was instantly and derisively known as the MP for Vegas.

Ruth Ellen Brosseau spent three days in Las Vegas for her 27th birthday during the 2011 election campaign and not a single day in the riding of Berthier-Maskinongé.

A desperate NDP ran her as a paper candidate in the Quebec riding, never anticipating she and dozens of other paper candidates would ultimately be sitting in Parliament.

So the nickname, while perhaps not kind, fit. 

Brosseau was not supposed to win, nor was she expecting to win. She had run a bar at Carleton University. She had never run for office. On election night she was as surprised as everyone else.

“Election night was so fun,” Brosseau says while surrounded by the trappings of her Parliament Hill office. “It was a good night, but as things got closer and numbers started rising and rising for my district, it was sort of, what do I do? Who do I talk to?”

Brosseau hadn’t spoken French since she was a kid, she didn’t know anything about the mostly rural riding of Berthier-Maskinongé and she knew nothing about politics.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ruth-ellen-brosseau-s-rise-from-paper-candidate-to-ndp-star-1.2640310

 

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She has learned about politics pretty well. Just saw her tearful words in the house and it was a very good performance.

 

Another NDP member was promising to direct a complaint higher up the chain regarding the "physical molestation".

[ForsbergTheGreat]

You call that an elbow.......

 

 

 

 

now that's an elbow

[Cerridwen]

6 minutes ago, nuckin_futz said:

 

Yep, I knew her name sounded familiar for some reason. Thank you for the info.