Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn says he "complied unequivocally" with security officials at Ottawa airport who confiscated his tequila. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn has apologized for trying to bring a bottle of tequila through security at Ottawa airport last month.

Blackburn is the second member of Stephen Harper's cabinet forced to offer a public apology after recent exchanges with security personnel at Canadian airports.

"On February 23 I was at the Ottawa airport and a bottle of alcohol was confiscated from me because it exceeded the 100-millilitre limit," Blackburn said in a statement Friday.

Blackburn's statement comes after a CTV report quoted sources saying Blackburn tried to circumvent airport security rules by asking the bottle be kept for him and subsequently became involved in a heated argument with security officials when they refused his request.

In the statement, Blackburn said that since he was required to leave the bottle behind, he asked that it be destroyed.

"At no point did I request preferential treatment; it’s not in my nature," the minister said in his statement. "Granted, I was definitely upset at what happened, and I apologize to those I could have offended. That being said, the rule is clear. The officers applied the rule. And I complied unequivocally."

Opposition MPs have lambasted the Conservatives in recent weeks and continue to demand the resignation of Status of Women Minister Helena Guergis, who apologized earlier this month for an alleged tantrum at security officials at Charlottetown airport on Feb. 19.

PM to cabinet: 'Respect the rules'

When questioned by reporters about Blackburn's conduct, the prime minister said he expects everyone who works for him to "work hard and … to obey and respect the rules."

"They've apologized and I think we should accept those apologies and move to more important issues," Harper said at an appearance in Manitoba.

"Do I realistically expect that everybody who works for me is perfect? No, you know we can't run any operation like that. But when people make mistakes, we expect that they own up to them and learn from them, and I'm sure they will in these cases."

During Friday's question period, Liberal MP David McGuinty accused Blackburn of compromising safety protocols with his "aggressive behaviour."

"Security personnel should not be berated and bullied by arrogant Conservative cabinet members," McGuinty told the House. "Why is there one set of rules for the Conservative team and another set of rules for everyone else?"

Blackburn was not in the House of Commons on Friday. Speaking for the government, Transport Minister John Baird insisted Blackburn did not ask for preferential treatment and "strongly supports airport security measures unequivocally."

"Members of Parliament, members of the federal cabinet, are just like every single other Canadian, and all of the rules, all of the regulations, all of the laws, apply to everyone in this country equally," Baird said.

Extra caution urged

Outside the Commons, NDP MP Joe Comartin said ministers must be "extra cautious" of how they conduct themselves personally, and called on the prime minister to provide and enforce a clearer code of conduct for his cabinet.

"I guess we had a prima donna in Charlottetown and now we've got a member who thinks his tequila is more important than treating people fairly," Comartin told reporters.

"I know I get irritated periodically going through there because, you know, they ask me to take my shoes off but, you know, I don't take it out on them. They're just doing their job."

Rick Dykstra, parliamentary secretary to Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, said cabinet members already had a strong code of conduct. But he acknowledged the incident was a "wake-up reminder" to all parliamentarians to respect it and to treat airport workers with respect.

"As individuals who fly a lot, as members of Parliament, we should be adhering to it, no question about it," Dykstra told reporters.