Government House Leader Peter Van Loan has apologized for using off-colour language during a verbal dustup on the floor of the House of Commons with NDP leader Tom Mulcair.
Van Loan acknowledged Thursday he used an inappropriate word during the confrontation.
However, New Democrats weren't satisfied, questioning how Van Loan can remain government House leader after displaying so little regard for proper conduct.
The incident erupted Wednesday after the NDP unsuccessfully attempted to invalidate a vote on the government's omnibus budget bill due to a procedural snafu.
Microphones were shut off during the incident, but video tape shows that Van Loan stormed across the centre aisle of the Commons, waving his finger at his NDP counterpart, Nathan Cullen, and speaking in a heated manner.
Mulcair, Cullen's seat mate, stood up, whereupon a number of New Democrats surrounded Van Loan and appeared to urge him to leave.
Finally, Defence Minister Peter MacKay rushed over and ushered Van Loan back across the aisle to the government benches.
New Democrats say Van Loan provoked the contretemps, repeatedly dropping the "F-bomb" as he wagged his finger in Cullen's face. They say Mulcair came to Cullen's defence, warning Van Loan to stop threatening his House leader.
The Conservatives tell a dif-erent story.
Van Loan initially said he merely crossed the floor to talk to Cullen about "the hypocrisy of his complaint" about the budget vote, since the procedural foul-up was the result of a mistake by a New Democrat, deputy Speaker Joe Comartin.
"I was surprised, however, how Mr. Mulcair snapped and lost his temper," Van Loan said in a statement Thursday night.
Conservative MPs also said Mulcair swore at Van Loan.
Van Loan acknowledged using "an inappropriate word."
"I should not have done that and I apologize for that," he told the Commons. "I would expect the leader of the opposition to do the same."
Cullen offered no apology but said he'd get back to the Commons with an official response from the NDP after speaking privately with the Speaker, Andrew Scheer.
