Zoom strikes again: Canadian parliament can’t unsee member’s member

The pitfalls of video calling have hit Canada’s House of Commons, with a politician beaming in nude.

William Amos, a Liberal MP for Pontiac in Quebec, on the fateful Zoom call. Picture: Twitter/The Canadian Press

The Liberal MP at the centre of it calls it an”unfortunate error and an “unintentional distraction”.

And the only saving grace of a Zoom call gone pear-shaped in Canada was the fortuitous placement of his mobile phone after William Amos was caught as naked as the day he was born in the “virtual” House of Commons during question time.

Mr Amos, who has represented the Quebec riding of Pontiac since 2015, appeared on the screens of fellow MP’s stark members of parliament completely naked on Wednesday, The Canadian Press reports.

A screenshot obtained by the organisation showed him standing behind a desk between the Quebec and Canadian flags, his private parts hidden by what appears to be a mobile phone in one hand.

“This was an unfortunate error,” Mr Amos said in a statement issued after mortification set in.

“My video was accidentally turned on as I was changing into my work clothes after going for a jog. I sincerely apologise to my colleagues in the House of Commons for this unintentional distraction. Obviously, it was an honest mistake and it won’t happen again.”

So for those wondering, the MP who appeared in his simplest attire is in fact Pontiac Liberal MP William Amos, according to this pic I was sent (compared to a Facebook live of him in his office just yesterday). pic.twitter.com/AtmKAmf8Am

— Christopher Nardi (@ChrisGNardi) April 14, 2021

Party whip Claude DeBellefeuille raised the incident in a point of order after question time, interrupting proceedings to ask the speaker of the house to intervene, and suggesting a reminder about parliamentary decorum.

“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,” she said in French.

“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.”

I made a really unfortunate mistake today & 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 + it won’t happen again.

— Will Amos (@WillAAmos) April 14, 2021

Amos is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and is a member of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Before becoming a federal MP, he was a lawyer.

His Zoom fail was not broadcast publicly: it was only visible to MPs attending question time virtually.