May 10, 2015

(UPDATED) Elizabeth May apologizes (sort of) for bizarre speech at the gallery dinner

Brian LilleyArchive

Something finally happened that made me wish I had been at the annual Parliamentary Press Gallery Dinner.

READ THROUGH FOR UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF STORY

I've been a member of the gallery since March 2005 but I've never gone to the dinner. A number of factors prevented me from going over several years and now I feel like I should maintain my perfect non-attendance record.

But last night, I wish I'd been there to see all of Green Party Leader Elizabeth May's speech which even CBC's Rosemary Barton and the Ottawa Citizen's Glen McGregor described as a train wreck (skip to the 5:10 mark).

I know enough about gallery dinners to know that everyone is supposed to relax, put their tools down for the night and mingle with people they do battle with most days.

So journalists invite politicians and lobbyists and everyone is supposed to leave the partisan stuff at the door.

Lizzie May didn't do that. She gave what has been described as a very partisan speech and was essentially walked off stage by Conservative cabinet minister Lisa Raitt who was trying to help May save her dignity. She should have pulled her off sooner.

While playing the song Welcome Back Kotter into the microphone through her phone, May started talking about welcoming Omar Khadr home before uttering this.

Here is a slighting longer version, the view is not as clear but it does give a bit more context.

Okay, let's think about this.

A leader of political party that has elected representatives in Parliament and wants to be taken seriously, just said that a confessed terrorist has more class "than the whole f***ng cabinet."

Firstly, what is May doing swearing like that at a formal dinner with cameras rolling? She wasn't dropping an f-bomb as part of a funny joke, she was trying to make a serious political point.

Secondly, what ever you think of Khadr, the office of the prime minister and his cabinet ministers do deserve some respect. Respect the institution if you can't respect the individuals.

But May couldn't do that. She is so blinded by her own partisan hatred that she has more praise for the son of Canada's first family of terror than she does for cabinet.

What will be her excuse?

Short of, "Sorry, I got really, really drunk and didn't know what I was saying," I'm not sure there is an excuse here.

Honestly, what other excuse can an elected member of Parliament have for behaviour like that?

May likes to portray herself as a defender of the institution of Parliament but I think her comments show that not to be true.

She dislikes the current government so much that she will sing the praises of a former mujahadein fighter and claim he has more class than Stephen Harper.

She likes a man that killed an American soldier and took the eye of another, after the battle was over and against the laws of war spelled out in the Geneva conventions, more than she likes any MP sitting in cabinet.

Don't believe Khadr's conviction? You cannot deny that he was taking up arms against coalition forces in Afghanistan, meaning this "Canadian" with so much "class" was willing to kill a Canadian soldier at any moment.

This is the man that Elizabeth May thinks has more class "than the whole fucking cabinet."

Elizabeth May owes the prime minister and his cabinet an apology. She owes Parliament an apology.

Will she deliver? I'm not so sure.

UPDATE: So since I first posted this both Postmedia and Canadian Press have published stories where May somewhat apologizes, bit not really.

I have not seen her whole speech and have not heard her whole apology, I can only go by what the two media outlets have published.

Postmedia reported on May this way:

The Green Party leader’s voice was raspy from a flu and she noted she was extremely sleep-deprived at the event. “It’s not an excuse, and I am sorry, but I’d had about five hours sleep in 48 hours,” she said.

"Obviously, I should stay with my usual goody-two-shoes where I’m more comfortable.”

At Canadian Press they had May on the record as such.

In a phone interview on Sunday, a hoarse May expressed her regrets for her taste in jokes, her lack of respect for her parliamentary colleagues and her choice of language.

"I wouldn't want anyone to think I was less than respectful for the people with whom I work," May said.

"I apologize that I made an attempt to be funny and edgy....and it didn't work."

It really didn't work but what I've seen of her apology so far doesn't work either.

Saying it is not an excuse and then blaming a lack of sleep is making an excuse. Saying "I apologize that I made an attempt to be funny..." is not a real apology.

Maybe there was more that was said, maybe more will be said tomorrow but what I've heard so far, this doesn't cut it.

Find out the truth about Omar Khadr at The Rebel's special KhadrFacts.com page.

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Comments

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commented 2015-05-20 03:31:59 -0400

As much as I would love to see a private member’s bill In Ontario, demanding on behalf of the people the Liberal members sign the magna carta and denounce the 1930s paternalist healthcare models as criminal. It would be just as comical and fulfilling, to see a member of the Conservative cabinet respond to the next question asked by May in the legislature. With a question; If she had been drinking today?

commented 2015-05-14 22:55:49 -0400

Winston, my hat is off to you. Thank you for your service & keeping Canadians safe. You have more brain in your little finger than E.M. Has in her head. She just doesn’t get it & her apology was lame & hypocritical. Don’t kid yourself, she meant every word she said. Wow, that was really a classy thing to say for a female politician at a gala dinner. All that “green” has affected her brain.

commented 2015-05-13 20:08:16 -0400

Elizabeth May,

Your recent comments about Omar Khadr are disgusting. Your behavior is unforgivable and your excuses of a “failed comedy routine” are not much better because there is nothing funny about this situation. I served Canada in Afghanistan and I can tell you this individual could have easy killed one of our soldiers over there. Do you understand why? It’s because he was an enemy combatant. Do you have any clue the suffering people endure from war? The Speer family has lost everything and you want to crack jokes about convicted killers of dead servicemen and have a toast to the terrorist that killed him? Well, I usually avoid using vulgarities when I’m corresponding with politicians, but in this particular case it seems more than fitting since you crossed that boundary yourself. Therefore, I sincerely wish to say that you are a fucking disgrace to our country and I hope you find yourself living on the dole again after the election.

Canadian Veteran

commented 2015-05-12 04:08:25 -0400

Thank you to THEREBEL for your reports. I actually did have some respect for Ms. May; it’s gone now. Like a fart in a windstorm. And that’s the only ‘woman’ leading (?)a federal party-couldn’t SOMETHING better be found? Drunk, bitter, leftist and mouthy? Should be transferred directly over to the cast of 22 Minutes. Take the Ornade and gin with her. Anyway, she’s saved me some time as I feel no need to watch the Big Debate; flies pooping on my window ledge may draw my attention.

commented 2015-05-11 18:23:40 -0400

Jerry P., funny comment. May should be removed from her parliamentary position for drunken disorderly conduct. Her attempt at covering up the fact that she was drunk by saying she had the flu destroys her credibility. Her support of the convicted terrorist Khadr was moronic and showed her true colors drunk or not. She can’t be trusted and is an idiot.

commented 2015-05-11 17:14:03 -0400

I just watched her full speech and l could not figure out what she was talking about, She was ranting on about nonsense, She said in her apology,That she had only 5 hours sleep in 48 hours after having the flu.Why would you go to a event and make a speech after having 5 hours sleep. B .S. she was hammered. The one thing that made me angry, At the end with Lisa Raitt trying to get her off the stage. May said, Omar you are home! He is not home, this not his country anymore. He is not Canadian and he was never a child soldier, he knew what he was doing when he went to war against us and our allies. Him and his family should be deported immediately. This terrorist is doing a con job and the left is sacking it all in. He still believes in his false idealogy.

commented 2015-05-11 16:17:31 -0400

I suggest that the Green Party dump May and replace her with Omar Khadr. He would best represent their extremist views and he doesn’t drink alcohol either.

commented 2015-05-11 16:16:19 -0400

JAMIE MACMASTER, thanks, I sent the following email to Ms. May: “After the spectacle you made of yourself at the Press Gallery Dinner, as well as your affront to Canada’s brave soldiers who put their lives on the line against terrorists so as to allow you the freedom to make such stupid comments, please resign so as to help the Parliament of Canada retain some sense of dignity”.

commented 2015-05-11 16:09:59 -0400

That the CBC or any other network buried this is the real crime. But Elizabeth May is a leftist sacred cow. The defining word there is cow.

commented 2015-05-11 15:36:06 -0400

This person is a disgrace to our Parliament. Honorable Member? I think not. The reference to terrorist Khadr and our elected Gov’t, using foul lanquage to boot, was disgusting and shows an absolute lack of class or common sense. Such is the left in this country. Anything goes if it achieves the objectives of Harper – hating.

commented 2015-05-11 14:54:27 -0400

She looked more trashed than sick or exhausted. But, as they say – A drunken Green Party Leader’s words are a sober Green Party Leader’s thoughts.

commented 2015-05-11 14:44:55 -0400

MARK BORZEL the CTV post, similar to other fawning MSM headlines, was entitled, “Green party Leader May ‘very apologetic’ about Omar Khadr remarks”. Note that ‘very apologetic’ appears in single quotation marks, whereas, in the body of the article, the source for which is The Canadian Press, one finds:
Green party Leader Elizabeth May says she is “very apologetic” about remarks she made…; that is, with double quotes. Can anybody bring forward a quote from May that actually includes the words “very apologetic” within it?

commented 2015-05-11 14:36:30 -0400

The delightful Ms. May can be contacted here: Elizabeth.May@parl.gc.ca

commented 2015-05-11 14:15:33 -0400

who applauded ? ndp? anyone.. or were they applauding lisa for dragging her away.?

commented 2015-05-11 14:13:11 -0400

sleep deprived? lol..how about an open bar..it is a well known fact that lefties adore an open bar…but it does prove the old saw…in vino veritas…what she actually said was that khadr has more class than the whole green party.. in which case no stuttering mindless apology would be necessary.

commented 2015-05-11 14:12:49 -0400

I think the Americans should take this screwball back!

commented 2015-05-11 12:20:15 -0400

That’s okay because she was drunk when she spoke.

commented 2015-05-11 12:14:38 -0400

May said : “I wouldn’t want anyone to think I was less than respectful for the people with whom I work,” – Don’t wory, we all knew that is what you thought anyway, it has been your campaign for years, except this time you really let people know what was deep in the light deprived void you consider your “heart”.

commented 2015-05-11 11:26:40 -0400

Geez I hope this didn’t cause her to loose any votes……. Oh wait hahahahahahaha

commented 2015-05-11 10:55:24 -0400

@ Wanda…fun post! Really enjoyed.

Folks here are Khadr’s bail conditions (note $5000. bail—-they can’t be serious!)..Elizabeth May thinks this guy has class?

EDMONTON — Now that Omar Khadr has been released on $5,000 bail, the clock will stop ticking on the time served toward his eight-year sentence.

Here are seven of the conditions he now faces:
Must wear an electronic monitoring device.
Must live with his lawyer Dennis Edney and wife Patricia in Edmonton.
Must observe a nightly curfew from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Cannot leave Alberta without prior approval, except to visit Edneys’ vacation home in B.C.
May only contact his family by telephone or video under Edneys’ supervision, and chat must be in English.
May only have in-person visits with his family with prior approval from bail supervisor.
Any Internet access will be restricted and must be monitored and supervised.

SEEM TO BE A LOT OF LOOPHOLES HERE, especially the B.C. vacation home…yikes!…and why ANY internet access? Would Edney let him read the Rebel to inflame his anger against the west? Would that be in accord to the comments from Ezra?

commented 2015-05-11 10:16:09 -0400

Hey everyone, I have an idea for a new sitcom that we can pitch to the CBC. Called Welcome Back Khadr, it’s about a grinning jihadist heartthrob who returns from a stint in a foreign lock-up to the arms of admiring friends and family and a new career as a high school teacher in a large Canadian city. The laughs are non-stop as Mr. Khadr and his students find themselves in all kinds of hilarious escapades. For the pilot episode Omar, who has been freed of all court-imposed restrictions, applies for admission to the Faculty of Education at York U. His application is accepted and he is immediately granted a degree based on life experience. The TDSB then hires Omar to teach a special class at an inner city high school, soon to be renamed Death to Infidels Collegiate Institute. Among the zany students in his classroom are a straggly red-headed ISIS wannabe named Jihadi John, several members of the Toronto 18 gang (on day passes to further their education), a frumpy wise-cracking mature student with a drinking problem named Fizzie Lizzie, and a goofy rich kid with over-styled hair named Justin. You’ll die laughing when Mr. Khadr shows up to teach the new Ontario sex ed curriculum and brings his pet goat to class.

commented 2015-05-11 10:14:52 -0400

So, here’s what CTV had to say about it (and they didn’t even allow for comments at the bottom…!):
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/green-party-leader-may-very-apologetic-about-omar-khadr-remarks-1.2367939

commented 2015-05-11 09:57:13 -0400

Thanks, Wanda. Have a great day!

commented 2015-05-11 09:40:21 -0400

Milan, yes by all means feel free to share.

commented 2015-05-11 09:21:15 -0400

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men (the ‘progressive’ Main Stream Media)
Couldn’t put Humpty together again

commented 2015-05-11 09:13:59 -0400

Awesome post Wanda! Priceless. Permission to use it?

commented 2015-05-11 08:57:42 -0400

The fact that she did not even admit she had too much too drink and used the flu and sleep excuse makes this even worse, at least tell the frigging truth lizzie, you were plastered, second does this mean that she has contravened bill c51. don’t
waste your time going to such endeavours it is just a narcissistic love in for the entitled class and your neither, so better off at home on a Saturday evening with your family …thats what counts. Kudos to Lisa Raitt , and here i thought she was minister Of labour and not Public Security, Steven Blaney watch out LOL

commented 2015-05-11 08:57:31 -0400

As if Elizabeth May had the first clue about class! After watching her in leaders’ debates, she is rude and arrogant, constantly interrupting in order to try to ‘zing’ the PM. To turn around and blame this on the flu and lack of sleep is simply ridiculous. Her conduct is a perfect example of why her party will never amount to anything with her at the helm.

commented 2015-05-11 08:40:10 -0400

One other thought: Talk about encouraging the terrorists in our midst!

commented 2015-05-11 08:29:10 -0400

One flew over the cuckoo’s nest. Unfortunately, I read about this bizarre behavior before going to bed, and woke up wondering why I was shaking my head. Was she really saying, “Dear Omar Khadr, I luv you (but, hate my adopted country); come stay with me instead!”?