Liberals call on Guergis to resign over tantrum
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Last Updated: Friday, February 26, 2010 | 9:49 PM ET
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Liberals are calling on Helena Guergis, minister of state for the status of women, to resign for her behaviour at Charlottetown Airport last week. (Canadian Press)The Liberal party is calling for the resignation of Conservative MP Helena Guergis as minister of state for the status of women after she threw a tantrum last week at the Charlottetown Airport.
"Her behaviour is certainly unconscionable. It's not what one expects from a leader," said Anita Neville, Liberal critic for the Status of Women.
"I don't think she warrants a cabinet position with this kind of behaviour."
Neville said she was speaking on behalf of the party in asking for Guergis's resignation.
The call for her to step down comes after an anonymous letter was sent to Liberal MP Wayne Easter. The letter stated that Guergis and an aide arrived late at Charlottetown Airport for their flight to Montreal on Feb. 19 and became verbally abusive to staff.
During pre-boarding screening, the letter said, the Ontario MP refused to remove her footwear, which set off the alarm as she walked through the metal detector.
When Guergis was asked again to take off her footwear, she allegedly "slammed her boots into the bin provided," and said, 'Happy f--king birthday to me. I guess I'm stuck in this hellhole.'" Guergis turned 41 on Feb. 19.
The letter said, "as the footwear cleared the X-ray conveyor [Guergis] then allegedly shouted at her aide to 'Get those for me. I'm not walking around here in sock feet.'"
When an Air Canada employee reminded her that passengers are expected to be at the airport two hours before departure, Guergis allegedly shouted, "I don't need to be lectured about flight time by you. I've been down here working my ass off for you people."
On Thursday, Guergis issued a statement, apologizing for speaking "emotionally" to some staff members at the airport, and admitted her behaviour was "not appropriate."
Neville said while she accepts Guergis's apology, it's easy to say sorry after you do something.
"But the behaviour, as I understand it, it's outrageous. It was rude, it was imperial, like she deserves some special consideration and status. And it was just totally disrespectful of the people she works for."
The Prime Minister's Office has said it was satisfied with her apology.
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