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Russell Peters’ Junos jokes were ‘inappropriate’: Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly

(L-R) Russell Peters, Mélanie Joly at the 2017 Juno Awards at The Canadian Tire Centre on April 2, 2017 in Ottawa, Canada. George Pimentel/Getty Images

Comedian Russell Peters is under fire for comments he made while hosting the Juno Awards on Sunday.

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Peters, who hosted the ceremony in Ottawa along with musician Bryan Adams, called Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly “hot” before introducing her on stage.

He claimed he wasn’t sure why she was there, “but she’s hot, so who cares!”

READ MORE: The Tragically Hip played off stage mid-speech at 2017 Juno Awards

He also mentioned the number of young women in the audience, saying “Look at all the young girls. This is a felony waiting to happen.”

Joly says that Peters’ comments were clearly inappropriate, adding that this type of humour does not have a place at the Juno Awards.

The minister says that she is proud to represent an industry worth $53 billion, noting Canada is the third largest exporter of music in the world.

WATCH BELOW: The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie among the winners at the 2017 Juno Awards

“We need to make sure that all our role models are supporting the importance of gender parity,” Joly said. “I really hope that he takes that into consideration and understands … the importance of what he said.”

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The comment about the Minister of Canadian Heritage, who was there to present Ruth B with her Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award, sparked outrage on social media.

READ MORE: Edmonton’s Ruth B wins Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year

Peters’ “felony” joke gained a lot of social media backlash against the comedian’s hosting job.

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— With files from The Canadian Press

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