A Canadian lawmaker, William Amos, who has represented the Quebec district of Pontiac since 2015, has apologised after he appeared stark naked during a virtual legislative meeting.
Amos appeared on the screens of his fellow lawmakers completely naked on Wednesday during the House of Commons meetings. The pandemic has meant that many Canadian lawmakers participate in sessions via video conference instead of in person.
A screenshot obtained by The Canadian Press shows Amos standing behind a desk between the Quebec and Canadian flags, his private parts hidden by what appears to be a mobile phone in one hand.
“I made a really unfortunate mistake today. Obviously, I’m embarrassed by it. My camera was accidentally left on as I changed into work clothes after going for a jog. I sincerely apologise to all my colleagues in the House. It was an honest mistake + it won’t happen again,” Amos said on Twitter.
Claude DeBellefeuille, a fellow Quebecois lawmaker, raised the incident in a point of order after the question period, suggesting that parliamentary decorum requires male Parliament members to wear a jacket and tie — and a shirt, underwear and trousers.
“We have seen that the member is in very good shape, but I think that this member should be reminded of what is appropriate and to control his camera,” said DeBellefeuille.
Speaker Anthony Rota later thanked DeBellefeuille for her “observations” and clarified that while he had not seen anything, he checked with technicians and confirmed they saw something. He reminded lawmakers to always be vigilant when they are near a camera and microphone.
Amos, the parliamentary secretary to Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, was visible only to Parliament members and staffers on an internal video conference feed. Because he was not speaking, his image did not show up on the public feed.
Liberal Party colleague Mark Holland said Amos was “utterly mortified.” Holland said he was satisfied with the explanation from his colleague. “I don’t think there was any ill intent. It’s certainly an unfortunate circumstance,” he said.
“This is a warning to everybody,” Holland added. “You’ve got to really always assume that the camera is on, and be very careful any time you wander anywhere near that camera that you’re dressed appropriately.″
