Conservative MP Garnet Genius has denied claims that her comments in the House of Commons were homophobic.
During Question Time on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Conservative MPs of making “casual homophobic comments” during a debate over government policy. The purchase of a luxury apartment for the New York Consul General caused controversy.. Prime Minister Trudeau did not mention Genuis by name.
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poièvre listed the condo’s features, including a “handmade copper bathtub,” and asked Prime Minister Trudeau whether he had visited with Consul General Tom Clark at his new official residence during his recent trip to the United States. Ta.
of House of Commons Minutes During Trudeau’s response, when the prime minister insisted that Clark’s role was to talk to international leaders on a variety of issues, an anonymous MP asked, “Would he talk to them in a bathtub? ?” it suggests that he yelled.
House of Commons video showed Alberta MP Genuis riding a horse in Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan and saying “bathtub”. Mike didn’t quite pick up the comment.
On Thursday, Genuis stood up in the House of Commons and denied that his comments were homophobic.
“The point of this comment, of course, is to explain that meetings don’t take place in bathtubs. Luxury bathtubs have nothing to do with meetings,” he said.
“It had nothing to do with sex. I wasn’t thinking about sex at all.”
Before Genuis could defend his comments, NDP MP Heather McPherson, R-Edmonton-Strathcona, stood up and asked House Speaker Greg Fergus if he would demand an apology from the Conservative MP.
“We are still waiting for him to retract and apologize for his homophobic and offensive comments,” McPherson said.
Liberal MP Rob Oliphant said he did not support Mr Genuis’ defense.
“If the consul general in New York were a woman, if she were treated that way in this House, this House would be outraged,” he said.
“Every member of this House should be outraged because it was a homophobic slur.”
Oliphant asked Fergus to investigate the matter further. Mr Fergus said he would consider it.