Liberal MP says she regrets 'distress' caused to witnesses who left meeting in tears

OTTAWA -

Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld fell short of an apology after instigating a fracas on Wednesday that led two witnesses testifying about violence against women to storm out of a parliamentary committee hearing.

Vandenbeld said in a statement that she deeply regrets the "distress that this meeting caused the witnesses." 

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The statement came after a domestic violence survivor Cait Alexander demanded an apology from the MP for what she described as "abusive" behaviour.

"Sorry, I don't accept this statement from her," Alexander, who appeared before the committee as a witness, said Thursday.

"She knew what she was doing. She didn't make a mistake — mistakes happen. I can forgive mistakes. This was intentional."

Another of the committee's witnesses, women's' advocate Megan Walker, said Vandenbeld's regrets don't amount to an apology.

"It's not an apology — it's a statement," said Walker.

"She has caused an entire community of women and girls who have faced abuse and are following this some distress, and that's not acknowledged here."

The rare summer meeting was scheduled for MPs to hear from advocates for domestic violence victims and a deputy chief of the Peel Region Police in light of several high-profile cases this summer.

It began with detailed testimony from Walker, an advocate to end violence against women, and Alexander, who shared graphic photos of the abuse she suffered with the committee.

When given the floor, Vandenbeld accused Conservatives of playing politics with the trauma of survivors, putting together the agenda in haste and limiting the ability of other MPs to suggest witnesses.

She insisted that she cares about survivors' stories, and outlined some of the actions the federal government has taken to address violence against women.

But rather than pivoting back to the topic of violence against women after airing that complaint, Vandenbeld called for a debate on a motion related to abortion rights — an issue the Liberals have tried to pin the Conservatives down on for months.

The witnesses shouted their frustration at Vandenbeld and others who voted for the motion, but they were effectively ignored for the rest of the meeting as MPs debated speaking orders, the Conservatives' stance on abortion and the narrow scope of who was called to testify.

Both witnesses eventually left the meeting in visible distress.

Alexander said Thursday she wished Vandenbeld's words included a promise of more meetings on the issue, with representation from Indigenous women and the LGBTQ community.

"I understand it was last minute, but it's an emergency hearing for a reason," she said.

"I would want survivors to be heard from all walks of life."

The parliamentary secretary to the minister of women, Lisa Hepfner, who also serves on the committee, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Conservative social development critic Michelle Ferreri rebuked Vandenbeld's statement on social media Thursday, and called the MP and her party hypocrites for professing to be part of a feminist government.

Ferreri posted several videos of committee on social media, calling the incident "shocking," and demanded a full apology from Vandenbeld.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2024.