Monday, April 07, 2008

Harper Stands by MP Who Made Anti-Gay Statements

Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Monday stood by embattled Conservative MP Tom Lukiwski, whose anti-gay remarks nearly 17 years ago continued to prompt calls from the opposition for his resignation as parliamentary secretary.

The prime minister, in his first day back in the Commons since returning from a NATO summit in Romania, acknowledged that Lukiwski's comments were "completely unacceptable."

But he noted Lukiwski has made an "unqualified apology" that expressed "clear, heartfelt remorse."

"I believe when such an apology and remorse is sought from an individual member, the generous and high-minded thing to do is to accept that apology," said Harper.

In a tape released last week by the Saskatchewan NDP, Lukiwski refers to "homosexual faggots with dirt on their fingernails that transmit diseases."(
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