Day two of CBC’s annual Canada Reads 2012 is over and done but a storm of controversy erupted after Day One yesterday.

The competition, pitting five Canadian books against each other, includes a panel of Canadian personalities who must defend their chosen book in a series of debates. This year, outspoken Montreal lawyer Anne-France Goldwater is one of the personalities, promoting John Vaillant’s book, The Tiger. During yesterday’s debates, Goldwater found herself in hot water for some of the comments she made.

When the debate turned to Carmen Aguirre’s book Something Fierce, defended by hip hop artist Shad, Goldwater did not mince her words.

	Carmen Aguirre is a bloody terrorist. How we let her into Canada, I don’t understand.
	— Anne-France Goldwater (CBC Radio One)

Shad commented that if Aguirre was a terrorist, Goldwater must believe Nelson Mandela was a terrorist. She then replied: “Damn straight. Blood on his hands.”

Her controversial comments did not stop there, however. Author Marina Nemat’s book Prisoner of Tehran – about her time in an Iranian political prison – was the first book to be voted off the competition.

	Marina Nemat – and it’s known to other prisoners, other prisoners who shared her experience – tells a story that’s not true and you can tell it’s not true when you read it.
	— Goldwater (CBC Radio One)

Nemat took to her Facebook page asking for a public apology from Goldwater.

On today’s broadcast of Canada Reads, Goldwater defended her comments by saying differing opinions make people want to pick up the books being discussed. But she also toned down her comments and seemed to make more of an effort to get along with her co=panelists. The Tiger – the book she was defending – was voted off at the end of the show.

Photo: 24oranges.nl via Flickr (http://opnfil.es/wsk9UA)