# Canadian MP leaves seat during vote because his seat is too tight. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 19, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-mp-leaves-seat-during-vote-because-his-seat-is-too-tight/713139 "2015-02-19T23:45:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-mp-leaves-seat-during-vote-because-his-seat-is-too-tight/713139/1 "2015-02-19T23:45:52Z")
Tight underwear triggers a ruling from the Deputy Speaker on whether an MP’s vote is valid. :eek: Pat Martin (NDP MP) cast his vote on a procedural motion in the Commons, but then left his seat for a short time. A Conservative MP questioned whether Martin’s vote counted, since he didn’t stay for while other MPs were still voting. Mr Martin explained to the House that he had to leave because his underwear was too tight (and presumably needed a wardrobe adjustment - trying to avoid thinking too hard about that :eek:). He shamelessly threw the Hudson Bay Company under the bus, saying they were selling cheap underwear at half price and he succumbed to the temptation of a deal. Bear in mind, this explanation is being given to the House of Commons, the centre of Canada’s democracy, in turn to be broadcast nationally. So the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons had to rule on whether an MP’s tight underwear negated his vote, saying: “I didn’t understand the explanation at the time, that he subsequently gave … can’t say I really understand it at this point.” However, he ruled that since Martin was in his seat when the vote was called, and stayed until he cast his vote, his vote was valid. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-mp-leaves-seat-during-vote-because-his-seat-is-too-tight/713139/2 "2015-02-20T00:08:42Z")
democracies require boxers. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-mp-leaves-seat-during-vote-because-his-seat-is-too-tight/713139/3 "2015-02-20T00:26:33Z")
On the other hand, South Africa was under the Iron Fabric rule of Tighty Whities for quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-mp-leaves-seat-during-vote-because-his-seat-is-too-tight/713139/4 "2015-02-20T01:15:12Z")
Forgot to include the link: [Pat Martin says tight underwear led him to leave seat during vote](http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pat-martin-says-tight-underwear-led-him-to-leave-seat-during-vote-1.2963294) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-mp-leaves-seat-during-vote-because-his-seat-is-too-tight/713139/5 "2015-02-21T05:00:55Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > democracies require boxers. Well, we in California have had that for many years. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-mp-leaves-seat-during-vote-because-his-seat-is-too-tight/713139/6 "2015-02-21T05:04:42Z")
it’s easy to grin when your ship comes in and you’ve got the stock market beat. But the man who’s worthwhile is the man who can smile when his shorts and too tight in the seat! ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-mp-leaves-seat-during-vote-because-his-seat-is-too-tight/713139/7 "2015-02-21T12:39:31Z")
Has there never been a situation where an MP had to run to the restroom during a vote in a similar manner? ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-mp-leaves-seat-during-vote-because-his-seat-is-too-tight/713139/8 "2015-02-23T11:35:37Z")
It takes enormous balls to make a excuse like that! ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-mp-leaves-seat-during-vote-because-his-seat-is-too-tight/713139/9 "2015-02-23T15:23:52Z")
It’s like _Birdman_ come to life.