Was Pat Martin out of line for swearing on Twitter?

(@PatMartinMP/Twitter.com)NDP Pat Martin is defending a series of inflammatory tweets he posted after the majority Conservatives ended debate on the federal budget.

"This is a f---ing disgrace ... closure again. And on the Budget! There's not a democracy in the world that would tolerate this jackboot sh--," he tweeted.

When another Twitter user called Martin a "foul mouth socialist," his response was a curt "f--- you."

Some wondered if the Manitoba MP's Twitter account had been hacked, but Martin assured them it had not. He has refused to apologize, saying he was "pissed off" and reacted with "industrial language."

"I'm a construction worker by trade. It's the way we communicate with each other," he said.

"Offensive, provocative or threatening language" is strictly forbidden of MPs in the House of Commons, as laid out in the Rules of Debate.

But should MPs also refrain from such language on Twitter? Should we judge Pat Martin the parliamentarian based on his tweets? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the field below.


(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' responses.)