Ending Heckling ... Momentarily

Yesterday, when asking a question about H1N1 and specifically what pregnant women should do about the vaccine, Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett was nearly drowned out by laughter from Tory backbenchers.



She says they were mocking her serious questions about the flu virus.

Today, her boss, Michael Ignatieff, tried to force the prime minister to apologize. No luck.

So Bennet tried again.

Even before the Toronto MP got a word out, she was being heckled.

Perhaps with a tad more restraint than yesterday, but heckled all the same.

With Conservative MPs yelling, "You're the only one confused, Carolyn," Bennett was visibly frustrated.

But this reporter can tell you she heard at least one Tory bankbencher say to her colleagues: "Stop screaming. Just answer."

Did I mention that just mere moments before Jack Layton put forth a private member's statement calling on MPs to refrain from "heckling"?

Layton made a point of citing the sometimes ''sexist'' remarks made when young women MPs -- like the NDP's Megan Leslie -- stand to ask questions.

Hard to tell if the message was received. Frankly, it's hard to hear much of anything most days.