He may be a senior federal cabinet minister, but Peter MacKay, who was booed at the East Coast Music Awards gala Sunday in Halifax, says he's also human.

Peter MacKay at the ECMA.
(CBC)

MacKay, a Nova Scotia MP, gaffed when he incorrectly cited Toronto as the host city.

"We're all human," MacKay told reporters in Ottawa Monday. "When you're tired and travelling a lot, sometimes I get up in the morning and I have to look in a phone book to see what city I'm in."

During his speech at the Metro Centre, MacKay, the minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, said he was pleased to be funding the event "here in Toronto," then tried to recover quickly with Ottawa.

He got Halifax correct on the third try, but by that time he was almost drowned out by the crowd's laughter and boos.

Mary Walsh at the ECMA.
(CBC)

When comedian Mary Walsh later took to the stage, she referred to the federal Conservatives as the "arse-lickers of Satan, who can't even remember what town they're in."

MacKay brushed that comment aside, saying anyone with a sense of humour should also have a thick skin.