Finance Minister Jim Flaherty acknowledged that he was suffering from a rare but serious skin disorder (bullous pemphigoid). He was prescribed a steroid that caused side effects such as bloating, weight gain, redness of the skin and possible bouts of sleeplessness. He said the condition nor the medication would affect his ability to do his job. Asked why it took so long for Flaherty to make his condition known, Treasury Board President Tony Clement defended his fellow minister and said he had a right to keep his health information to himself. (Flaherty said he had previously informed Prime Minister Stephen Harper of his condition.)

Date: 2013-01-31
Placeline: OTTAWA, Ontario.
Source: The Canadian Press
Length: 17 seconds

Transcript Prediction: << as long as we feel we're doing your job then there is a part of our lives that should be private and personal I know there's some in the media and other commentators you may disagree with that but I think he's doing a great job and I hope he continues to do a great job for years to come >>

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