At about 12:45 this afternoon, in a press conference room in Parliament Hill's centre block, embattled Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt had this to say:
Thank you everyone. Today I want to personally communicate my deep regret for wording I used in a private discussion earlier this year which was inadvertently recorded. As somebody who has had in their personal life been deeply affected by cancer, my intent was certainly not to show any disrespect for cancer victims, survivors or their families. However, it's clear that these remarks have been interpreted in that way. So I want to offer a clear apology to anyone who's been offended by what I've said.
I want people to know that when I was 11 years old, I watched my father pass away from colon cancer over a period of 18 months. My mother and I and my brother took care of him until his final days. Twenty years later, I was in the room with my brother as he died from lung cancer. As you can see, it's a very personal issue for me and it's one that I really don't take lightly.
With respect to the medical isotopes issue however, I will continue to work with Minister Aglukkaq and the international community to address the isotope shortage in Canada and around the world. Thank you.
Raitt took no questions.
She forgot to apologize to her fellow Conservative MPs. She is obvioulsy not a team player.