A witness who stormed out of a parliamentary committee meeting in tears Wednesday is demanding an apology from a Liberal MP who put a halt to a planned discussion about violence against women in favour of a debate about abortion rights.
Cait Alexander was on Parliament Hill to provide testimony at a rare summer hearing of the House of Commons status of women committee when she says Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld re-victimized her as a survivor of domestic violence.
含羞草研究社淚 am completely flabbergasted,含羞草研究社� Alexander said in an interview after the meeting Wednesday.
含羞草研究社淭his is exactly what it felt like these last few years, where I含羞草研究社檓 literally showing my bludgeoned, bleeding, bruised body and the people who have authority and power in this country are saying, 含羞草研究社榃ell, we care about you.含羞草研究社� But then they silence you.含羞草研究社�
Vandenbeld, who serves as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of International Development, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Alexander was one of two witnesses who stormed out of the meeting organized so MPs could hear from advocates for domestic violence victims and a deputy chief of the Peel Regional Police.
The meeting was scheduled after the killing of Breanna Broadfoot, 17, in London, Ont., who police say was a victim of intimate partner violence.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said last week that the suspect had previously been arrested but was released before the fatal attack, and criticized the Liberal government含羞草研究社檚 bail policies.
Though witnesses at the committee set out to similarly argue that the current justice and bail system is failing victims, the session quickly derailed into a mess of political bickering.
During her opening statement, Alexander, who heads up the advocacy group End Violence Everywhere, shared her personal story as her family watched from the public benches behind her.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 supposed to be dead,含羞草研究社� she told the committee, showing MPs graphic photos of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex-boyfriend three years ago.
含羞草研究社淚f you haven含羞草研究社檛 met a survivor and a victim含羞草研究社檚 family, well, now you have.含羞草研究社�
Before long, Alexander含羞草研究社檚 family members we berating MPs for a partisan display that descended into procedural chaos. Her mother told Vandenbeld that she was 含羞草研究社渄isappointed,含羞草研究社� and the whole thing amounted to further abuse of her daughter.
It began when Vandenbeld was given the floor to ask questions of the witnesses.
She gave a short statement about how much she cared about survivors含羞草研究社� stories, and outlined some of the actions the federal government has taken to address violence against women. Then she chided Conservatives for politicizing the issue by calling the meeting during the summer with little notice, which left other parties unable to prepare or recommend other witnesses.
含羞草研究社淲e do not use victims and survivors of trauma to try and score political points in this committee,含羞草研究社� she pronounced.
含羞草研究社淚 think it含羞草研究社檚 cruel to have people relive the trauma that they含羞草研究社檝e endured just to be able to have a meeting that, if it含羞草研究社檚 not agreed to, then there含羞草研究社檚 all kinds of social media that Liberals or others don含羞草研究社檛 care about this issue, which, as we all know, we do very deeply.含羞草研究社�
Instead of pivoting back to the topic at hand, Vandenbeld went on to call for a debate on a motion related to abortion rights 含羞草研究社� an issue Liberals have tried to pin the Conservatives down on for months.
含羞草研究社淭his is the problem. Did she listen to anything that was said this morning?含羞草研究社� said another witness, Megan Walker, who lives in London and advocates to end male violence against women.
After that, the meeting dissolved into a lengthy back-and-forth between MPs, as multiple points of order were brought to the chair.
NDP MP Leah Gazan confronted the Conservative chair of the committee for not allowing her to suggest witnesses for the meeting.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 disgusted,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 representing Ground Zero for murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls.含羞草研究社�
Not long after that, Alexander stormed out of the room in tears. Walker turned her back on the committee and followed.
Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri lambasted Vandenbeld for derailing the meeting, and said the victims came to testify in order to bring about 含羞草研究社渓egitimate change.含羞草研究社�
She apologized to Alexander含羞草研究社檚 mother, who stood behind the witness table.
含羞草研究社満卟菅芯可鐦Sorry含羞草研究社� isn含羞草研究社檛 good enough 含羞草研究社� we含羞草研究社檝e heard 含羞草研究社榮orry,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 Alexander含羞草研究社檚 mother told the committee.
The meeting adjourned shortly thereafter.
Alexander said afterward the entire ordeal was retraumatizing and that the committee含羞草研究社檚 actions are 含羞草研究社渆xactly the type of behaviour that has allowed my abuser to go free.含羞草研究社�
Alexander flew to Ottawa from Los Angeles to testify, and stressed she didn含羞草研究社檛 make the trip for partisan reasons. She saw it as an opportunity to highlight her story and those of countless other women who have had similar experiences, she said.
While abortion is a 含羞草研究社渟erious issue含羞草研究社� deserving of attention, she described the antics of the committee, and Vandenbeld, as 含羞草研究社渁busive,含羞草研究社� and accused the Liberal of trying to use her trauma for political gain.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 so utterly disrespectful, inhumane and honestly just unkind to not allow us to continue a healthy conversation on what was supposed to be discussed, and the audacity to do something like that,含羞草研究社� she said.
Ferreri said in a statement the Liberals effectively silenced the victims.
含羞草研究社淚t is disgusting that this so-called feminist Liberal government today completely shut down a committee study into violence against women,含羞草研究社� Ferreri said.
含羞草研究社淭he Liberals pulled this heartless stunt to cover for the prime minister whose reckless policies have unleashed a crime wave across Canada that disproportionately affects women and vulnerable groups.含羞草研究社�
Walker said she hasn含羞草研究社檛 had an experience like the one she endured on Parliament Hill Wednesday in 25 years of advocacy.
含羞草研究社淲hile they silenced us in that meeting, they will not silence us from moving forward in our valuable work to end male violence against women.含羞草研究社�
Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
