Rob Anders accused of sleeping through veterans meeting

A Calgary MP who was caught sleeping in the House of Commons during Question Period last year apologized for his comments this week after he was accused of doing it again.

Conservative Rob Anders has not responded to interview requests from CBC News, but he said in Postmedia News reports that he never slept at the veterans affairs committee meeting in Halifax. Instead, he suggested those who accused him were NDP "hacks" who praised Russian strongman Vladimir Putin during the meeting.

"I have enormous respect for the men and women who have sacrificed in service of their country," Anders said in a statement on Friday. "I apologize for my comments and any offence they may have caused. I will continue to work on behalf of Canada's veterans through the committee."

Anders slept through much of the Tuesday meeting that was supposed to address helping homeless veterans, according to the head of a charity group that was there to make a presentation.

Anders arrived fifteen minutes late for the meeting, took a seat at the table and began to stretch and yawn, said Jim Lowther, president of Veterans Emergency Transition Services.

"And I look down again and he’s asleep. Like head bobbing asleep. Almost hitting his head off the table asleep," said Lowther.

The Tory MP slept for at least 20 minutes, Lowther said.

"Everyone noticed," he said.

Lowther also said the accusation that his organization was aligned with the opposition was complete nonsense.

"Me personally, I'm a card-carrying card Conservative," he said.

"If he'd just said, you know what guys I nodded off there. That would have been the end of it," he said.  

Lowther said Anders should resign.

"I’m sure there are other Conservative MPs that we can get on there that are really engaging and interested," he said.

Last November a YouTube video of Anders nodding off in the House of Commons became an online sensation.