Inverness MLA breaks down after sexual abuse speech
Posted Oct 16, 2014 05:38:13 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – A provincial politician broke down in tears today after delivering a speech in the provincial legislature in support of sexual abuse victims.
Allan MacMaster, who represents the Cape Breton riding of Inverness, says he wanted to acknowledge the bravery of sexual abuse survivors who have come forward.
When asked by reporters after his speech about the impact of such abuse, MacMaster wept as he explained that he found out a man he used to play hockey with who has since died was sexually abused.
“I can only imagine what he went through,” he said.
“I think we owe it to those people to talk about this so that maybe we can do things so that we can stop it from happening.”
During the speech, he used his house privilege to talk in general terms about several abuse cases in his area and read into the legislature’s record the names of seven people he said came forward with their stories of abuse, two of whom looked on from the public gallery.
