Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Canadian PM Trudeau Physically Assaults Female MP on Parliament Floor
Wednesday afternoon, self-described feminist and progressive hero Justin Trudeau was caught on camera grabbing an opposition whip on the wrist and elbowing a female legislator in her chest. All on the floor of Canada’s House of Commons. You can see the incident at about the 50-second mark of this video.
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.
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 talking too slowly ahead of the vote.
The prime minister then crossed the floor and engaged in a loud and apparently heated conversation with NDP Leader Tom Mulcair.
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.
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.
A colleague of Brosseau’s, MP Nikki Ashton, didn’t exactly accept the apology.
“I am ashamed to be a witness to the person who holds the highest position in our country do such an act,” she said. “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. He made us feel unsafe and we’re deeply troubled by the conduct of the prime minister of this country.”
That’s the third-wave feminist version of high crimes and misdemeanors. Viewing the video, the incident is more Corey Lewandowski than Taiwan Parliament, but it might take the shine off of global progressives’ favorite new leader.
Published in General
She,
Spoken like an Englishwoman! In fact, we’ve wasted far too much time on the Canadians period. They aren’t English and they aren’t American they can’t make up their minds.
I would prefer to think about Brexit!!! Speaking of those who have endured quietly the indignities. It is time to throw off the yoke of the annoying and pompous EU. Time to let Britain breath free. What says the British Lion? What say you SHE???
Regards,
Jim
I’m more offended by the ridiculous quote re: feminism. That ranks right up there with the phrase “We’re pregnant.”
(Oh wait; I should probably save that for the group writing theme this month: What bugs you?)
A conservative MP was once suspended from the House by the Speaker simply for touching the ceremonial mace.
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02.n794.a03.html
Mace! It burns!
If you touch the ceremonial nutmeg, do they make you sit in the corner?
Nobody is afraid to use the word “Feminist”. Plenty, however, are afraid to use the word “Infidel”. Man up, Justine the Feminist.
The way I see it, Trudeau went to rescue an even more limp-wristed fellow who found himself stymied in his progress to somewhere. Buncha pink shirts.
I figure the trouble-makers got what they deserved. Play jerk games? Get jerk results.
“elbowing NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau in the House of Commons”
Will “House of Commons” now replace more vulgar terms as a euphemism for female secondary sexual characteristics?
It will now that you brought it up.
So…you’re saying that a Canadian Donald Trump could shoot somebody on the floor of the House of Commons and get away with it, as long as the majority party had his back? (This started off as a joking riff onTrump’s line, but now I think it’s a serious question.)
But the alternative, beheading the PM, would make for great entertainment.
2 minutes for holding, 2 minutes for roughing and a game misconduct. If only the NDP’s had an enforcer?
Yes, and that’s unfortunate.
Between the overwrought language of women like this on the one hand (I think she is wrong), and the determination to shrug off, and even reward, bad behavior on the other (I think those who do this are wrong), lie millions and millions of people who behave themselves, mind their own business, and (mirabile dictu) never find themselves the subject of conversations like this one.
Call me archaic, stupid, a loser, a fuddy-duddy, demented, deranged, whatever you like, but you won’t convince me that a little self-control doesn’t go a long way to avoiding this sort of circus, and that it isn’t a better example for all.
That is, assuming you want to avoid this sort of circus.
Which may not be the case.
At 2:17 the guy in the grey flannel suit demonstrates how to deal with wannabe club bouncers from Whistler B.C.
I want to avoid it here. I don’t mind watching it happen in Canada. Sweet revenge for the diabolical birds they send our way every year.
Alternate theory: he was trying to cop a feel with his elbow, using the other guy as a pretense.
Seriously, this approach to attacking our political opponents is a loser.
Feminism and chivalry cannot co-exist. I know many of us would like to preserve the code, but your valor is wasted on feminists and it actually enables them to have it both ways and further advance their inhuman transformations from a code of honor to a code of law, yet unequal and applied differently according to gender.
In our country, they are talking about
allowingforcing women into combat roles and having a draft for our daughters. The upside to that is at least when the phrase “our men and women in combat” is trotted out it will be more in line with reality, on the downside…well we all know what that is.This is a nothingburger trying to highlight hypocrisy. Trudeau might not be a white knight like Jon, but his ideas about feminism, however misguided, are not in conflict with this event. So this post fails at the headline level and also at the “making a point” level.
Well, the Speaker would probably ban him from the House, but yeah, technically, that’s pretty much correct.
It’s precisely why the two sides of the House are seated two sword-lengths away from each other.
No. Gord Brown is a pretty tough guy. He still plays full-contact league hockey. He can defend himself from swarming Dippers (slang for NDP members).
Oh, Jim.
Seriously off topic, but since you asked . . .
I’m with Charles de Gaulle on this. He twice vetoed Britain’s entry into what was then called the Common Market because he believed it would ultimately result in the breakdown of the community and the end of the dream of a united Europe.
I hope he was right.
At the time, Britain, which was a shambles, was desperate to for closer ties with its more economically successful European partners, and eventually it prevailed for union in 1973, by which time Charles de Gaulle, being deceased, didn’t have much of a say.
Since that time, the EU has morphed from what was basically an association for freer trade into a bureaucratic behemoth that interferes in the most private affairs of European citizens (sort of like the Federal Government here, only in more than two official languages, none of them yours).
Your father was one of my dad’s closest friends. You knew my dad, and the rest of my family. You know the fruit hasn’t fallen far from the tree. You’re trolling a bit here, because you can’t possibly believe that we’ve ever been anything but
BREXIT, BABY!
I believe there’s a Parliamentary hockey team in one of the Ottawa recreational leagues. I dunno how many Dippers are on the team.
Huh! You know, there are more real-life, personal connections between Ricochetti than I’d realized.
Got her right in the bicameral assembly.
“House of Commons” has a more egalitarian feel to it. Not that I’m feeling anyone’s House of Commons right now. “Bicameral assembly” sounds vaguely dirty. Like too many people are involved.
Jim’s parents were both that rare combination of brilliant and kind, and they were extraordinarily generous to a family of foreigners in the Pittsburgh suburbs many decades ago . . .
We came our separate ways to Ricochet.
Go figure.
The bigger problem occurs when the Bicameral gets its nose in the tent.
It’s bicameral assembly in English; derriere in French.
Then there’s the invitation to visit the House of Lords, but that’s Bill Clinton’s line.
I also wonder if his father was like that. I wouldn’t be surprised.
–His father gave the finger to Lincoln Alexander the first black MP in Canada on the floor of the House of Commons and also said words that would violate the code of conduct.
–The PM has people who exist to do things for him. He should have ordered the House Leader to get things in order.
–A Provincial Progressive Conservative, Jack Maclaren a friend of mind who should watch what he is drinking, (also different party long story), recently made a lewd joke about his Federal Liberal women counterpart. The Liberals demanded he be fired and kicked out of caucus. He is now in sensitivity training. The PM should join him there.
Wonder no more. What’s bred in the bone will come out in the flesh.
I remember Trudeaumania the first time around.
Excuses were made for him, too.
Because he was just sooooo cool.
Yuk.
I already miss Stephen Harper and I don’t even live in Canada.
Franco, they certainly can. I would define myself as a feminist in the sense that I expect to be treated with respect and maybe even a little bit of deference. :)
This is certainly a compatible attitude with chivalrous behavior. My husband dotes on me and he enjoys doing so.