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Watch: Canadian lawmaker cites half-priced underwear to defend absence during vote

Posted at 7:48 PM, Feb 21, 2015
and last updated 2015-02-21 21:48:52-05

A brief issue forced a Canadian politician to leave his seat after voting on a procedural motion, leading another legislator to question whether or not the vote would still count since the man had left his seat as the results were still being tallied--which is a violation of parliamentary rules.

Winnipeg Centre MP Pat Martin explained his breech of parliamentary procedure in the House of Commons, citing an underlying cause. He said a sale offering half-priced underwear caught his eye but explained he had bought some that “was clearly too small for me and I find it difficult to sit for any length of time, Mr. Speaker. So I apologize if it was necessary to leave my seat briefly, but I did not mean to forfeit my right to vote.”

In the end, his vote was allowed to stand. See the video above for footage of the unusual political moment.