Trouble for Trudeau: Canada's golden boy Prime Minister

Forced to apologize after he ELBOWS female opposition lawmaker during physical parliamentary fracas

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has apologized 'unreservedly' for elbowing a female opposition member of Parliament in the breast as he waded through a group of her colleagues.
Ruth Ellen Brosseau said the fracas forced her to miss a vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday as she had to leave the chamber.
'I was elbowed in the chest by the prime minister and then I had to leave. It was very overwhelming,' she said.

Trouble brewed when the opposition parties' members filled the aisle and refused to sit down while others pounded their desks and ignored the parliamentary call to order. Somewhat like a filibuster, they were trying to delay a member of parliament from reaching his seat so voting could start on behalf of speeding up Trudeau's new bill for assisted suicide. There has been a prolonged and very tense debate over physician-assisted dying legislation.

Tempers were already running high in the Commons all week after the government gave notice of a motion to give cabinet tighter control over the House of Commons’ schedule, and when the House can break for the summer. Opposition MPs have criticized the motion as a “draconian” attempt to help the government get its way without debate.

On Wednesday, before the confrontation took place, members were gathered in the House to vote on a motion, to limit  the debate on its controversial assisted-dying legislation, Bill C-14. The government is pressing to get its bill passed by week’s end to meet a looming Supreme Court deadline. Opposition members, however felt it needed more discussion and refinement.

Trudeau and his  majority government sat politely for a time and then Justin lost his cool and marched into the group of troublemakers and told them to 'sit down'. In the video you can see he did not know who, if anyone, was behind him. Politicians are too aware what that kind of faux pas can do to a career. And Justin is known to be polite to all women.

But of course, opposition leaders have slammed the incident as 'violent' - branding Trudeau, an avid boxer, 'un-statesmanlike'.

Mr. Trudeau said the NDP members of Parliament appeared to be blocking Mr. Brown from taking his seat so the vote could start. When he went to help Mr. Brown to his seat, he says, he extended his arm to assist Brown to break out of the group of MPs surrounding him, and hit Ms. Brosseau by mistake. His explanation is plausible but many MPs feel he should have remained in his seat. And he also said, "Get the fuck out of my way," as he charged through the group to rescue Mr. Brown, which is hardly gentlemanly.
After the incident, all hell broke loose and everyone got out of their seat to join the fracas.

His apology:

I admit that I came into physical contact with a number of members as I extended my arm, including someone behind me whom I did not see. I certainly did not intend to offend or impact on anyone,' Trudeau said. 'I apologize for that unreservedly and I look for opportunities to make amends.

So, Golden Boy has a temper. That just proves he is human and impatient to get on with the job. Some of us are glad he is showing a little spunk.

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