Canada has a “fart” problem in the parliament and the whole debate is not at all funny. There is so much going in the world, there are wars in the Middle East, ISIS is perpetrating attacks in the Western world, scientists are warning us about global warming, and there have been great political shifts in America, the UK, and France (in the upcoming months).
However, in Canada, there are better conversations to be had. Last week, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel was blasting the leaders of the government for not taking concrete actions to create jobs in Alberta when she used the word fart. She said:
“Why does the government treat Alberta like a fart in the room that nobody wants to talk about or acknowledge?”
Green Party leader Elizabeth May, who was offended by the word fart, made sure that the former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment got a piece of her mind. May said the word was “unparliamentary” and demanded that Rempel stop using it. May stated:
“I hate to interrupt my friend in her speech, but I heard her say a word that I know is distinctly unparliamentary, and I think she may want to withdraw it. The word was f-a-r-t.”
The Official Opposition Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship replied by saying that she would do no such thing. The representative of Calgary Nose Hill stated:
“Is my colleague actually serious? I just gave an impassioned speech about Alberta jobs, and that’s what the leader of a political party has to say? No, I don’t withdraw it.”
From there, the discussion over jobs was hijacked by which words are “unparliamentary.” Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota also shared his thoughts on the matter. The member of the liberal party stated:
“There are times in the chamber when passion takes over, things get heated, and sometimes we say things that are out of order or that may not be parliamentary. The honorary member said a couple of things that were borderline, but it is up to her to decide whether they were unparliamentary. Someone took offense. I will take it under advisement and bring it back to the table, and we will go from there.”
The mini-debacle over the word fart rapidly spread on the Internet and inspired hilarious bathroom-related jokes.
@AaronWherry We've smelled worse on Parliament Hill
— tom mills (@humourmetom) November 15, 2016
@AaronWherry I don't understand why @ElizabethMay raised such a stink.
— PM Turdeau (@turdeau) November 16, 2016
