EDITOR'S NOTE: The original version of this story said Elizabeth May wore a World Economic Forum pin, which was incorrect. Story has be corrected to reflect this. Story has also been updated with response from Elizabeth May. .Tom Kmiec (Calgary Shepard, AB,) during a House of Common debate on Trudeau’s gun grab, said he understood a comment from Green Party leader Elizabeth May MP (Saanich-Gulf Islands, BC) as referring to his constituents opposing federal gun confiscation as “scum.” May used the word during a debate on Bill C-21, a Liberal bill to ban and confiscate certain firearms. In a statement to the Western Standard, May said the “scum” word was taken out of context. May used a Yiddish proverb, which Kmiec took her as calling his constituents “scum.” “I do enjoy the use of Yiddish proverbs and one comes to mind from Tim Robbins Still Life with Woodpecker. The reason you have to keep stirring the stew, you have to keep stirring because otherwise, the scum rises to the top,” said May. “So here in this place, we have to stir and stir and do what we should do for Canadians, which is to give them the best possible, best possible service as MPs.” May accused the Conservative Party of hyping up some bills with divisive rhetoric. “I ask in that context if he doesn't find it troubling the very bills that have been, I would say with due respect, hyped up in terms of the rhetoric by the Conservatives in this house are the ones that come back to him,” said May. May asked the Conservatives to work with the other parties and prevent the “scum from rising to the top.” “Does he think that perhaps it would it would behoove my friends in the Conservative Party to try and be more balanced in what's wrong with a bill?” said May. “What's good with the bill and how we work together to give Canadians the best possible meal and keep the scum from rising to the top.” Kmiec responded and defended his constituents concerned about the “overreach” of Trudeau’s gun grab. “I'm a little worried, Madam Speaker, that the way she just described my constituents who are emailing me on this issue. They deserve to be heard, not to be name called,” said Kmiec. “They are concerned not because of what we are saying on the side of the house. They are concerned because the contents of the legislation is bad news for them.” Kmiec said his constituents came to him with their fears about Trudeau’s gun grab. “I don't need to go around into my constituency raising fears. They are fearful on their own. I happen to have more meetings on C-21 and firearms legislation in the past six to eight months from constituents that do not reach out to me on a regular basis,” said Kmiec. “I invite the member to come out to my riding, an urban Calgary riding. What is the second most important issue they deserve to be [heard].”
