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An Alberta NDP MLA was forced to apologize in the legislature Tuesday after he “flipped the bird” at his political opponents during debates last week, then denied it.

Michael Connolly, who represents Calgary-Hawkwood, stood to offer his mea culpa for the “inappropriate gesture” before MLAs began their business in the house Tuesday.

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“I want to make it clear to this chamber that on Thursday I made an inappropriate gesture to the members opposite, which I regret and for which I apologize. My actions were not befitting of this chamber and the dignity herein,” Connolly read hurriedly from a prepared statement.

During debates last week, Wildrose MLA David Hanson objected after he said Connolly “flipped the bird” toward opposition benches as the house debated the speech from the throne.

“We noticed that. My eyes are pretty good,” Hanson said at the time.

Connolly initially denied he raised his middle finger toward his political opponents.

“I would just like to clarify that I did not flip the other side off. I made a gesture such as this because I was angry,” Connolly said last week. “However, I did not flip you off. If you did perceive it as that, I do apologize. That was not my intention. I was frustrated. I just tried to throw my hand up in the air as a signal of frustration, and I did not try to flip you off.”