Puttin' on the Ritz

Gerry Ritz lives.

The Conservative agriculture minister, who disappeared earlier this month after joking about listeriosis tainted meat victims, showed up today for a Canadian Federation of Agriculture debate.

Ritz was cornered by a Canadian Press reporter at Ottawa Airport Sept. 17 to explain his comments in a teleconference with public servants in which he referred to the victims as "death by a thousand cold cuts."

Although Ritz aplogized, the macabre humour continues to haunt him.