Party leaders took a chance to poke fun at themselves, each other and the journalists who cover them at the at the Parliamentary Press Gallery dinner Saturday night.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, did not miss the opportunity either, stealing the show with a routine that included comedy, singing and even yoga.
She appeared on stage part way through the prime minister’s speech. Gregoire Trudeau began by giving an intentionally drawn out explanation of what she was wearing -- a dig at herself over her much talked-about involvement in Canadian fashion.
For her grand finale, she had four of Trudeau’s staff members bring out a mat on which she balanced herself in the challenging "two-legged sage" yoga pose -- a joke aimed at her husband, who made headlines earlier this year after being photographed holding the "peacock" pose.
During his time as prime minister, Trudeau’s father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau was photographed displaying the same pose on the shores of the Nahannie River in the Northwest Territories.
“You should be doing more of this because you’d be hitting less people, my love,” she said to Trudeau, a reference to the controversial May 18 “Elbowgate” incident during which Trudeau unintentionally knocked an NDP MP with his elbow.
“And this is really good for anger management,” she added, inviting NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, who is known for his fiery temper in Parliament, to try the pose.
Friday night marked the 150th anniversary of the parliamentary press gallery. Each year, political leaders and the journalists who cover Canadian politics gather for an evening of light-hearted humour aimed at one another.
Former prime minister Stephen Harper never attended the press gallery dinner during his time in office.
