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Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino blamed a Tory meeting that ran long as he apologized for showing up “very late” for a scheduled appointment with ex-soldiers after the group called for his resignation.

Opposition Leader Tom Mulcair, however, says Fantino’s actions are disgraceful. He joined the former soldiers in demanding Fantino step down or be fired after the minister abruptly cancelled his meeting with the veterans, only to then appear at the last minute and apparently insult the group.

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“He’s showing contempt for people who are coming to see him for help and he must be immediately relieved of his duties,” Mulcair said Wednesday after the the weekly NDP caucus meeting. Earlier in the day he had called on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to issue a “sincere apology” to veterans who took part in the bungled meeting.

I sincerely apologize for how this was handled

“It’s a bunch of bulls–t is all we get from this politician and he should not be in office and I’d like to see him resign,” Veteran Paul Davis said at a press conference Tuesday evening.