Trudeau apologizes again in House of Commons for elbowing incident

The uproar over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s elbowing incident, or #elbowgate on social media, in the House of Commons continued Thursday as Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose called the prime minister’s actions “unsettling” and “unbecoming of a leader”

While addressing the House, Ambrose said what happened Wednesday evening “was very unsettling for everyone in this chamber.”

“His behaviour was unbecoming of leader who has the privilege, and let’s never forget it is a privilege bestowed upon him by the people of Canada,” she said.

3:44 “I apologize unreservedly:” Justin Trudeau delivers apology to House of Commons for physical altercation

• “I apologize unreservedly:” Justin Trudeau delivers apology to House of Commons for physical altercation
• Raw: Chaos in House of Commons as PM Justin Trudeau comes into physical contact with MP
• Ruth Ellen Brosseau says she was ‘elbowed in the chest by the prime minister’
• Ambrose slams Trudeau over ‘Elbowgate’: He had no business being anywhere but his seat
• Peter Kent recalls time then-MP Justin Trudeau called him a ‘piece of sh*t’ in the House
• Conservative MP compares excuses over physical altercation in House of Commons to a domestic abuse case
• Elizabeth May calls Trudeau ‘elbowgate’ accidental, calls on parties to be ‘more mature’
• Does Prime Minister Trudeau feel any ‘consequences’ are appropriate following elbowing incident?
• Justin Trudeau accused of ‘manhandling’ MP in House of Commons
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized for altercation in House of Commons
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologizes for his ‘behaviour’ in House of Commons

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood in the House to apologize again to all MPs, the Speaker and also Ruth Ellen Brosseau, with whom he inadvertently elbowed while trying to hurry the Conservative whip to his seat.

Trudeau says his actions were not appropriate, and that it wasn’t his role to try to expedite the vote that was scheduled to take place.

“In my haste I did not pay attention to my surroundings and as a result I made physical contact with the member from Berthier—Maskinongé something I regret profoundly for which I regret unreservedly,” the prime minister said.

“Members expect better behaviour from everyone in this House; I expect better behaviour from myself.”

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READ MORE: Chaos erupts on Hill: Trudeau apologizes for physical contact with Opposition MPs

Trudeau touched off a firestorm Wednesday in the House when he walked across the aisle in the Commons and pulled Conservative whip Gord Brown by the arm through several MPs, elbowing NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau in the process

Green Party MP Elizabeth May said Trudeau’s actions in the House on Wednesday were “unwise” but also accidental when he elbowed Brosseau.

“There was no question there was an effort to obstruct a vote,” May told Global News. “But the last person in the world who should have tried to fix that was our prime minister. It was unwise.”

The incident took place ahead of a contentious vote to limit debate on the government’s doctor-assisted dying bill.

NDP MP Tracey Ramsey told the Commons in the immediate aftermath of the incident that Trudeau uttered a profanity as he approached her caucus colleagues standing in front of Brown.

“He said, ‘Get the bleep out of the way,”‘ Ramsey said in the House. An NDP source who spoke to Ramsey afterwards confirmed the MP had heard Trudeau say “get the f— out of my way.”

Brosseau said she was shocked by the encounter and ended up missing the vote.

“I was standing in the centre talking to some colleagues,” Brosseau told the House Wednesday evening. “I was elbowed in the chest by the prime minister and then I had to leave.

READ MORE: #elbowgate: Trudeau’s ‘elbow’ trends on Twitter, creates debate

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

The incident led to chaos and at one point Trudeau came face-to-face with NDP Leader Tom Mulcair.

While Trudeau has apologized several times for his actions, an all-party committee will investigate the matter.

MPs will finish debating a motion by Conservative MP Peter Van Loan on whether “the physical molestation” of the female MP in the House of Commons should be referred to the Commons committee on procedure and house affairs.

*With files from the Canadian Press