Brief intermission: Canadian MP blames tight underwear for almost missing vote
Free speech among the political establishment in Canada has a wide berth, with parliamentarian underwear becoming a focal point of discussion after one MP rushed out of a voting session, saying he could not sit any longer in his too-tight underpants.
Pat Martin, a member of Canadian House of Commons, was seen sprinting out of the chamber, as his colleagues rose individually to cast their ballot during a slow one-by-one voting session. Following a short leave, Martin was confronted about his absence by a rival MP forcing him to voice an unexpected excuse.
“I can blame it on a sale that was down at the Hudson’s Bay,” Martin, a member of Parliament of New Democrat party, explained to the audience. “They had men’s underwear on for half price. I bought a bunch that was clearly too small for me and I find it difficult to sit for any length of time.”
NDP MP Pat Martin may have just delivered the most unique excuse for missing a vote - overly tight briefs. #cdnpoli#hoc#winnipeg
— Elizabeth Thompson (@LizT1) February 19, 2015
Martin apologized for his leave, but said he did not mean to forfeit his right to vote. The MPs out of left field comment also not only created a buzz on social media, it also threw his fellow politicians for a loop.
MP Tom Mulcair said he was “having trouble breathing” from laughing so hard during Martin’s explanation. “And that’s the beauty of being Pat Martin,” Mulcair told CTV’s Power Play on Thursday evening.
“He did it just as a light moment, something that popped into his head because he had moved during the vote and you’re not supposed to do it. Kudos to Deputy Speaker Joe Comartin who said ‘I’ll deal with this briefly.’ Everybody had a little fun, and I guess that’s also good.”
Wasn't allowed to leave my seat to call my son and wish him a good night during votes. Funny precedent set today w men's underwear #mom
— Eve Adams, MP (@MPEveAdams) February 19, 2015
Following the round of entertainment Martin later admitted that he actually left the hall to ask a question to the speaker.
“The actual fact is that it was a cheeky answer to what I thought was a cheeky question,” he said as cited by the SkyNews.
Martin later told the Free Press he was thinking quickly on his feet because he knew he had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing.
“I know better than that,” he said. “It briefly crossed my mind that it might explain the behavior of a lot of world leaders if their underwear was a size too small.”
