Don Cherry was in the House of Commons today for Question Period and, at the conclusion of QP, Speaker Peter Milliken recognized the “hockey personality”. Many MPs cheered. But some booed. From my spot in the Commons press gallery, it appeared that the booing was mostly coming from the Bloc Quebecois MPs.
Cherry, as any who have watched him over the years know, has sometimes said things about French Canadian hockey players that have got him in a spot of trouble.
Jean Lapierre, the Liberal MP from Montreal, raised a point of order immediately after Milliken recognized Cherry, suggesting that he should not have been recognized by the Chair. Outside the House, Lapierre said Cherry’s views have upset many French Canadians. Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe said Cherry was “not good for hockey.”
Just before leaving the Hill, we caught up with Cherry who shrugged off all the kerfuffle, saying he gives Prime Minister Stephen Harper a big thumbs up for his support of the troops in Afghanistan.
More later, as I go through the video tape.