Canada PoliticsQuebec MNA falls asleep in legislature, says he might have sleeping disorder
We all get a good chuckle out of a video of a politician falling asleep on the job.
Well, a Quebec MNA says his falling asleep could be the result of sleep apnea.
Daniel Breton, the former PQ environment minister seen in the top right hand corner of this YouTube video, was caught dozing off a number of times during Question Period this week.
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Late last year, according to CTV News, Breton was the subject of several controversies that ultimately forced him to step down from his cabinet post.
Breton has a string of criminal convictions dating to 1988 for defrauding the unemployment insurance system, and as recently as 2007 was fined $400 by Revenue Quebec. La Presse also reported that Breton was convicted in 1997 for driving without a license.
Meanwhile TVA reported that Breton was evicted from his apartments in 2005 and 2009 for non-payment of rent. Photographs from his landlord show hundreds of empty bottles of wine left in the apartment Breton was forced to leave.
With regard to falling alseep, however, Brenton insists the problem is medical.
"Because I’ve been having problems sleeping, on Feb. 4 I asked a doctor to conduct some tests for sleep apnea and they will take place on March 7," Breton told reporters according to The Canadian Press.
"It’s as simple as that."
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According Canoe.ca's C-Health website, daytime sleepiness is one of the primary symptoms of sleep apnea.
"It can make it hard to stay awake, concentrate, and work. People can even end up losing their jobs if they're always nodding off during the day."
Other politicians caught falling asleep:
Conservative MP Rob Anders in the House of Commons:
Jason Kenney at Peter Lougheed's funeral service:
NDP MP Jonathan Genest-Jourdain during a debate about the long-gun registry:
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