28°c A few clouds
15°c Cloudy periods
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Brazeau apologizes after B-word gets him in Twitter trouble
Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau. (WAYNE CUDDINGTON / OTTAWA CITIZEN)
Related Items
OTTAWA — Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau threw a punch outside the boxing ring Tuesday when he suggested on Twitter that a parliamentary reporter who wrote a story about his poor attendance record was a bitch.
Brazeau, best known to Canadians for losing a boxing match to Liberal MP Justin Trudeau this spring, was reacting to a story written by Canadian Press reporter Jennifer Ditchburn that said Brazeau had the poorest attendance record for this session of parliament.
Taking to Twitter, he called the story one-sided.
"Change the D to a B in your last name and we're even!" Brazeau tweeted at Ditchburn Tuesday afternoon.
"Don't mean it but needs saying."
Brazeau, was absent for 25 per cent of the 72 sittings between June 2011 and April 2012, the Senate attendance register shows. By the end of that period, the Quebecer was four days away from being fined, Ditchburn reported.
Ditchburn defended herself on Twitter, noting that she called Brazeau's office twice and exchanged emails prior to the story being published.
"Dear Senator: Many a person has made fun of my name and (the) word 'Bitch'. But never a Canadian senator. That's a first," Ditchburn tweeted.
Twitter erupted in a firestorm of criticism Tuesday afternoon, and the hashtag #DitchBrazeau quickly took off.
"My money's on @jenditchburn for the next 'Thrilla on the Hilla' boxing match," wrote Toronto Star journalist Kenyon Wallace.
"You know what would solve this problem of people getting upset about what a Senator writes on Twitter? Abolishing the Senate," wrote Macleans journalist Aaron Wherry.
Brazeau apologized to Ditchburn about an hour after he wrote the original tweet.
"I apologize for my comments. They were done because of my personal circumstance regarding your story," he tweeted at Ditchburn.
"I'm a hardworker and take my position seriously but personal issues always comes 1st. Ppl are sometimes in need. Sorry!"
Calls and emails to Brazeau's offices were not immediately answered Tuesday.
Nstechyson@postmedia.com
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- Sobey clan to alter city market
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- New crowd plan for Taylor Swift get-together
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Teen on train tracks from York Landing
- Teens face charges after Transcona robbery
- Man wanted after two banks robbed
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Winnipeg man given 2-year sentence for coma-inducing 'sucker punch'
- RCMP say woman deliberately murdered her sister with her car
- Toronto woman dead in rural Manitoba ATV wreck
- Manitoba restaurant stops selling giant hamburger "for obvious reasons"
- Man convicted of drunk driving in Henderson pile-up
- Bomber fans wowed by new stadium
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Two people killed in crash north of Winnipeg
- Two Winnipeg teens identified as victims of crash
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Father, daughter seriously injured in ATV crash
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Filipino singer Charice comes out as lesbian; Catholic official says she's in identity crisis
- Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits north, with temps topping 80 degrees (26C) in Anchorage
- New crowd plan for Taylor Swift get-together
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Sobey clan to alter city market
- Accounts and accountability: UK committee says bankers must take more responsibility
- Youths charged in fatal shooting of chief's grandson, 5, on Alberta reserve
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Daycare-subsidy rules bad for business
- Only one workshop to be held on vacant land at The Forks
- At 55, I'm wise to what's real in life
- Sobeys gobbles up Safeway
- Priest kept silent about accusations against Storheim, court hears
- Manitoba restaurant stops selling giant hamburger "for obvious reasons"
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- Geothermal heat coming to some Manitoba First Nations
- Spiralling cost of land raises new home prices
- Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits north, with temps topping 80 degrees (26C) in Anchorage
- Rogers and MTS announce new network sharing agreement
- New owner for lumber stores
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Door openers being used to break into garages, police warn
- Province formally opens Mental Health Crisis Response Centre
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- New rules let customers cancel phone contracts without penalty after two years
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- At 55, I'm wise to what's real in life
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.