N.L., Quebec premiers apologize to Tory leader, family for Crosbie quip 

A meeting of Eastern Canadian premiers began Monday with two provincial leaders apologizing for a joke that compared Newfoundland and Labrador’s Tory leader to his recently deceased father.

During a meeting Sunday, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball laughed when Quebec Premier François Legault said Ches Crosbie is “not as great” as his father, John Crosbie, at public speaking.

READ MORE: Atlantic premiers to meet in St. John’s today with Quebec premier, Freeland 

John Crosbie, a former federal cabinet minister and former lieutenant-governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, died Friday at the age of 88.

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Newfoundland and Labrador’s Progressive Conservative caucus issued a statement Monday morning requesting an apology from Legault and Ball for the “inappropriate, disrespectful and tasteless” comment.

2:17 Former Canadian politician John Crosbie dead at 88

Ball opened Monday’s meeting by apologizing to the Crosbie family for the incident.

Legault added that John Crosbie was a great Canadian and apologized for the “bad joke” about differences between Ches Crosbie and his father.

READ MORE: Council of Atlantic Premiers to meet in St. John’s Monday

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2020.