UPDATE: MPs kicked off ‘Movember’ with a customary dragging of MP Peter Stoffer into the foyer and the shaving off of his bushy moustache.
Stoffer, the NDP MP from Nova Scotia, was joined by fellow caucus members and Quebec MPs Dany Morin and Pierre Dionne Labelle, as well as Conservative MP Larry Miller in a gesture of all-party support for raising prostate cancer awareness.
As Sudbury NDP MP Glenn Thibeault shaved Stoffer's stache, he told a large group from the NDP caucus and the media that last year the NDP had raised $16,000 and that this year, with more MPs in Ottawa, they hoped to raise even more money.
Stoffer, who joked that his doctor uses two fingers because he likes to get a second opinion, urged men to get tested.
“It’s very very important … If we save one life, it’s well worth it. Donate online,” Stoffer said.
MPs were doing this to change the face of men’s health, Thibeault said. “There are too many men’s faces that we are losing because of this (prostate cancer).”
Miller said he joined the NDP fun because the issue is so important.
“There are so many things in the House of Commons that, of course, we are divided on, this is one thing I think, as you can see here, every party has come today here together today, non-partisan, this is an issue that is about people’s health,” he said.
A group of NDP MPs will kick off Movember month on Tuesday morning.
Trinity--Spadina MP Olivia Chow, Jack Layton's widow, told reporters Monday that Movember gives men a chance to grow a "sexy moustache," raise funds for cancer research and give people hope.
"Growing a moustache means that you get a chance to talk to your colleagues about prostate cancer and - because all of sudden, you grow some hair in your face, people are going to ask why. So the message really is let's talk about cancer, let's do early testing so we can deal with it quickly and raise some funds and grow one sexy moustache," Chow said.
A number of NDP MPs will grow some facial hair and some with a 'stache will shave it off, including Sackville-Eastern Shore MP Peter Stoffer bushy one.
The NDP caucus say they raised $16,000 in support of Prostate Cancer Canada and the Movember Foundation last year.
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