Virtual meetings seem to be the bane of maintaining decorum, at least for some people. A Canadian lawmaker, who last month briefly appeared stark naked during a parliament Zoom call, has issued a new apology after another gaffe.
William Amos said he “urinated without realizing [he]was on camera” during this week’s virtual proceedings at the Canadian House of Commons. “I am deeply embarrassed by my actions and the distress they may have caused anybody who witnessed them,” he said.
Adding to the official statement, Amos, who has represented the Quebec district of Pontiac since 2015, lamented how virtual calls have “totally erased the line between our private homes and the workplace.”
Amos’ embarrassment was heightened by the fact that he was involved in another similar incident just last month, and had pledged to be more careful. On the previous occasion, he was caught on camera in his birthday suit while changing in his office after a jog.
A fellow legislator took a screenshot of Amos, standing between the flags of Canada and Quebec with his private parts barely covered. The image was somehow leaked on social media.
Claude DeBellefeuille, the whip of the Liberal Party, remarked that while she complemented Amos’ apparent fitness, “it may be necessary to remind the members, especially the male ones, that a tie and jacket are obligatory, but so are a shirt, boxer shorts or pants.”
A red-faced Amos apologized for the incident, saying that “obviously, it was an honest mistake and it won’t happen again.”
Just like the fresh exposure, the incident in April was not broadcast to the general public, but could be seen by other lawmakers and parliament staff members with access to the closed virtual meeting.
The lawmaker now says he will continue to represent his district, but will temporarily relinquish his other roles in the parliament to “seek assistance.”
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