Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld failed to apologise on Thursday for causing a commotion on Wednesday when two witnesses who were testifying about violence against women angrily walked out of a parliamentary committee hearing.
Vandenbeld said only that he deeply regretted “the distress this meeting has caused to witnesses.”
The statement came after victims of domestic violence demanded an apology from the MP for his “abusive” behaviour.
“This is a statement, not an apology,” said Megan Walker, a witness who appeared before the commission.
“She has caused pain to an entire community of women and girls who have been abused and continue to suffer in their aftermath, and that is not being acknowledged here.”
The unusual summer meeting was scheduled for lawmakers to hear from advocates for domestic violence victims and the deputy chief of Peel Regional Police following several high-profile cases this summer.
It began with detailed testimony from Walker, a champion for ending violence against women, and Kate Alexander, who shared graphic photos of the abuse she suffered with lawmakers.
When given the opportunity to speak, Ms Vandenbeld accused the Conservatives of politicising the trauma of survivors, rushing their agenda and limiting the ability of other MPs to nominate witnesses.
She stressed that she was heartened by the stories of the victims and outlined some of the steps the federal government has taken to address violence against women.
On August 1, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, visiting London, Ontario, was answering a question about two witnesses at a House of Commons committee hearing who became upset and walked out after a Liberal member steered a planned discussion on violence against women to the issue of abortion rights.
But after airing her grievances, rather than returning to the topic of violence against women, Vandenbeld called for debate on a motion on abortion rights, an issue the Liberals have been trying to pursue the Conservatives on for months.
Although the witnesses shouted complaints at Vandenbeld and other council members who voted in favor of the motion, they were effectively ignored for the remainder of the meeting as council members debated the speaking order, the Conservative position on abortion, and the narrow scope of people called to testify.
In the end, both witnesses left the meeting visibly upset.
