Manitoba cabinet minister quoted Winston Churchill on skirts, apologizes
Manitoba's deputy premier is apologizing for remarks he made about women's skirts during a speech to a business audience.
Cliff Cullen, who is also the minister for economic development, told the legislature he is sorry for his error in judgment and has apologized in writing to the Business Council of Manitoba.
Cullen spoke to the business group last week.
The Winnipeg Free Press has reported that Cullen said a good speech should be like a woman's skirt -- long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.
It's a phrase commonly attributed to former British prime minister Winston Churchill.
The Opposition New Democrats called Cullen's remarks an example of misogyny and said he should undergo sensitivity and sexual harassment training.
"Words uttered by the deputy premier contribute to a dangerous environment where sexual harassment and violence against women thrive," NDP house leader Nahanni Fontaine told the chamber Tuesday.
Cullen did not speak to reporters after, but apologized twice in response to Fontaine's questions.
"I have apologized to the business council, certainly I do want to apologize as well to all Manitobans for my comments," Cullen said.
"I recognize they were very regrettable, I appreciate the error in judgment and I will learn from my mistakes."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.