NDP MP Saganash blames “stressful week” for Air Canada ejection

A stressful week of Canadian politicking was blamed after an apparently intoxicated NDP MP was removed from an Air Canada flight.

Romeo Saganash was escorted from an Air Canada Jazz flight between Montreal and Val-d'Or on Friday after it was determined he was too intoxicated to fly, according to the CBC.

The flight was delayed by half an hour as the northern Quebec MP was removed from the plane.

One witness told CBC that Saganash boarded the plane and dropped his bags in the aisle before collapsing into two open seats and laying down.

On Monday, Saganash said that account was not exactly what happened, but did say he was deeply embarrassed by his behaviour.

"It was Friday, it had been a long week, and we are all stressed out at that time," Saganash told CBC.

"Of course, I regret (it). I apologize. This is the first time that it has happened in thirty years in the air. I regret what happened and it won't happen again."

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Saganash was first elected to represent the riding of Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou in 2011 after decades of advocacy work for the Cree community.

Saganash briefly joined the NDP leadership race last winter, but dropped out citing a lack of resources and threw his support behind the eventual winner, Thomas Mulcair.