Photo: #300091984, flickr.
Conservative MPP Robert McGuire held a press conference yesterday, after comments he made to a reporter on live television resulted in public outrage.
McGuire, MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk in Southern Ontario, was in Toronto attending a Conservative Party convention when he was asked by a CBC reporter how he felt about the Middle East and all the ethnic cleansing currently going on. McGuire stated that he was “proud of the ethnic cleansing” and added that he is “hoping to see the trend continue well into the future.”
His statements have resulted in a flood of complaints at the CBC and have sparked outraged amongst many Canadians who witnessed the broadcast.
McGuire took the opportunity to address the media and clarify his statements to the public. He told the public:
“Please allow me to clarify: I thought ethnic cleansing meant they were teaching hygiene to immigrants. You know, teaching them how to bathe properly and clean their teeth and trim their beards and stuff. I had no idea what it really meant. I realize now how my statement could have seemed offensive or insensitive. My apologies to everyone for the misunderstanding.”
Because Haldimand-Norfolk has an extremely loyal conservative following, it is unlikely this incident will affect McGuire when it comes to election time. However, many critics claim that McGuire is only adding fuel to the argument that Southern Ontario is quickly catching up to the American South in terms of ignorance and poor vocabulary skills, a feat once thought impossible by the rest of the world.