Canadian official caught urinating on virtual video stream after naked gaffe

Opposition party call member of parliament's behaviour 'unacceptable'

Mr Amos was talking on the phone at his desk when he decided to urinate in a coffee cup rather than pause or end his call. Reuters

A Canadian member of parliament is temporarily stepping down from some duties and is "seeking assistance" after being caught on camera urinating during parliamentary proceedings, a month after being caught on camera naked during another virtual appearance.

"Last night, while attending House of Commons proceedings virtually, in a non-public setting, I urinated without realising I was on camera," said William Amos, a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's ruling Liberal party, in an apology posted to Twitter late Thursday.

"I am deeply embarrassed by my actions and the distress they may have caused anybody who witnessed them," he said. "I apologise unreservedly."

Mr Amos was talking on the phone at his desk when he decided to urinate in a coffee cup rather than pause or end his call, political reporters said on Twitter, citing sources.

Canada's official opposition Conservatives called Mr Amos's behaviour unacceptable and questioned whether the incident was an accident.

"This is a pattern of behaviour from Mr Amos and it's now clear that Trudeau's Liberals failed in their duty to ensure a safe work environment following the first incident," said Conservative member of parliament Karen Vecchio in a statement.

Mr Amos said he would remain a member of parliament, but would "temporarily" give up his parliamentary secretary and committee roles. Mr Amos acts as an assistant to Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne.

The Quebec-based official said he would be seeking assistance, but did not make clear what type of help he was looking for.

Mr Amos first came to media attention in April, after a screenshot was leaked to media showing him completely naked on an internal government video feed.

At the time, Mr Amos said he had been changing into work clothes after a jog and did not realise his camera was turned on.