Conservative MP withdraws 'bathtub' comment at Speaker's request

Conservative MP Garnett Genuis has withdrawn a comment he made last week that the Liberals claimed was homophobic.

Earlier Tuesday, Speaker of the House of Commons Greg Fergus asked Genuis to retract the comment, which was made during a heated exchange in the Commons over the government's controversial purchase of a luxury apartment for its consul general in New York.

While Genuis rejected the claim that what he said was meant as a homophobic remark, he withdrew it Tuesday evening.

«In deference to the authority of the chair, I withdraw the remarks,» Genuis said.

«I appreciate how the chair acknowledged I did nothing wrong and there was no ill-intention,» he continued, prompting several points of order from other MPs who argued Genuis lacked remorse in withdrawing his comment.

During last Wednesday's question period, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre listed off features of the condo, including «a handcrafted copper soaking tub.» Poilievre asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau if he visited Consul General Tom Clark at the new residence on his recent trip to the U.S.

The House of Commons transcript suggests that during Trudeau's response, when the prime minister was arguing Clark's role is to engage with international leaders on various issues, an unnamed MP yelled: «Does he engage with them in the bathtub?»

The House of Commons' video showed Genuis, the MP for the Alberta riding of Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan, saying «bathtub.» The microphones didn't pick up the full comment.

On Thursday, Genuis rose in the House to deny the claim that his comment was homophobic.

«The point of that comment is to illustrate that, of course, meetings don't take place in the bathtub. A luxurious bathtub has nothing to do with meetings,» he said.