OTTAWA -- A Liberal MP is under fire after allegedly making a suggestive comment to a Conservative colleague at a parliamentary committee meeting two weeks ago.
The Conservatives say Liberal Nicola Di Iorio made a comment about a stripper pole to Dianne Watts, who represents British Columbia's South Surrey-White Rock riding.
"A suggestive and very inappropriate comment directed at me was made by a Liberal MP during a public safety committee meeting in March which left me, staff, and other members of Parliament feeling very uncomfortable," Watts said in a statement.
"There should be no place or time where such comments are acceptable. I now leave it in the hands of the prime minister to take whatever actions he feels appropriate."
The National Post reported Watts's cellphone went off during the committee's closed-door meeting on March 8, which is also International Women's Day. The ring tone was personalized to Watts's daughter, and wasn't the one pre-set on most phones. The unusual ring tone caught the attention of Di Iorio, who reportedly asked, "Where's your pole to slide down?"
Conservative MP Karen Vecchio, who attended the same meeting, confirmed the comment and called it offside.
"I'm going to ask you, what would you say if someone said, 'Where's the pole?' when music comes on?... You and I both know exactly what he meant," she said.
Di Iorio wasn't available for an interview. However, a statement was provided to CTV News by Charles-Eric Lépine, chief of staff to government whip Pablo Rodriguez.
“Mr. Di Iorio offered an apology to Ms. Watts and explained no word that he himself uttered was intended to offend, he offered that apology again earlier this week,” Lépine said. “All members agree that any form of inappropriate language or behaviour is unacceptable. Every Member of Parliament has the right to a safe and respectful working environment and we take this responsibility seriously.”
Vecchio pointed out Di Iorio made a statement ahead of question period Wednesday lauding a new program in Montreal that lets people who feel threatened during dates to surreptitiously ask for help from bar staff, calling it a statement about sexual harassment and violence.
"We have a feminist prime minister and a feminist government, and they are being extremely hypocritical," Vecchio said.
"The whip's office knew for over two weeks, and I believe [given] the relationship between the whip's office and the prime minister's office, the prime minister has known for two weeks," she said.
Both Watts and Vecchio say it's up to Trudeau now how he wants to handle the issue.
"At the end of the day, it is up to the prime minister. This is his caucus member," Vecchio said, though she dismissed the idea of an apology.
"What does an apology do now? It's taken him two weeks to apologize."
