A Canadian lawmaker’s naked webcam gaffe during a session of parliament has prompted calls for an investigation and raised questions over the ethics of sharing compromising pictures of public officials without their consent.
Unaware that his camera was on, parliamentarian Will Amos accidentally exposed himself to colleagues ahead of Question Period as he changed into his work clothes on Wednesday afternoon.
After he was made aware of the blunder, he quickly apologized.
“I made a really unfortunate mistake today, and obviously I’m embarrassed by it. My camera was accidentally left on as I changed into work clothes after going for a jog. I sincerely apologize to all my colleagues in the House. It was an honest mistake and it won’t happen again,” tweeted Amos.
Initially, Amos was chided by colleagues, who reminded him about clothing protocols while parliament is in session.
“It may be necessary to remind the members, especially the male ones, that a tie and jacket are obligatory, but so are a shirt, boxer shorts or pants,” said Claude DeBellefeuille, member of the Bloc Québécois.
“We have seen that the member is in great physical shape, but I think members should be reminded to be careful and control the camera well.”
The mishap occurred ahead of Question Period on an internal video feed. A photo of the incident, believed to have been taken by another lawmaker, was leaked to the press and posted to social media – eliciting mockery and outrage.
“Sharing naked pictures of people without their consent is deplorable, under any circumstance. An MP leaking such a photograph to the media is a total violation of both the person in the image but also, I suspect, House rules,” tweeted public relations executive Lisa Kirbie.
The infrastructure minister, Catherine McKenna, herself a victim of bullying and harassment, called the decision to share the image “appalling”.
On Thursday, the government house leader, Pablo Rodriguez, called for an investigation to determine who leaked the image.
“It is mean-spirited and life-changing for one of our colleagues,” Rodriguez said. “Taking a photo of someone who is changing clothes, and in the nude and sharing it without their consent could very well be criminal.”
Section 162.1 of country’s criminal code prohibits sharing “an intimate image of a person knowing that the person depicted in the image did not give their consent to that conduct”.
On Thursday, Amos cancelled a public appearance alongside the procurement minister, Anita Anand, who told reporters her colleague was “taking a day”.
• This article was amended on 16 April 2021. The incident did not occur during a closed session of parliament, as stated in an earlier version.
