L to R: Witnesses Megan Walker and Cait Alexander speaking before the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO) on July 31, 2024. Credit: Alessia Passafiume, Canadian Press
Content warning: The following contains descriptions of intimate partner violence and femicide. Please proceed with caution and care. If you require support, there are resources available.
I am seldom at a loss for words – my editors will testify to that – but I am at loss to express the disgust, anger and lack of hope that I felt after watching the July 31, 2024 House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO).
The meeting was called by PC MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman, the chair of the committee to discuss a new report from Statistics Canada.
Kramp-Neuman recently replaced the previous chair, PC MP Karen Vecchio. Vecchio was a pro-choice advocate who did not allow any party to introduce so-called ‘ambush motions’ or let committee members to hijack the meetings. Vecchio was pulled from the committee by Poilievre and is no longer seeking re-election.
Kramp-Neuman apparently did not give the other parties time to suggest witnesses or to adequately prepare questions for the three witnesses invited to speak.
Cait Alexander, a survivor of intimate partner violence and founder of End Violence Everywhere; Megan Walker, former executive director of the London Abused Women’s Centre and vice-chair of London Police Services Board; and Peel Deputy Chief of Police, Nick Milinovich — who joined via zoom — gave their five minute testimonies and then the floor opened up for questions for a full hour and 45 minutes. That’s when the entire scene descended into partisan chaos.
Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld foreshadowed what was about to descend on the committee when she addressed the three witnesses detailing the various bills — C-51, C-75, C-48, C-28, C-63 and a National Action Plan on Gender Based Violence — that the Liberals have passed to ensure women’s safety and then segued to moving a motion to put the current meeting temporarily on hold to discuss and vote on an unresolved abortion issue* from a May 13, 2022 meeting.
Given there was an hour and 45 minutes remaining in the meeting, Vandenbeld could have allowed the question-and-answer period to proceed requesting the last 15 minutes be reserved for the abortion discussion. But she did not do that.
It's clear from watching the proceedings that there were things happening in the background that the witnesses and the general public were not aware of.
After a six to four vote in favour of the motion, a discussion should have ensued. That didn’t happen because NDP MP Leah Gazan felt she was overlooked by the chair who had given the floor to PC MP Michelle Ferreri.
That deteriorated into various points of order being called while Alexander and Walker turned their backs on the committee in protest.
Oblivious to the protest, the unbelievable spectacle of partisan politics consumed all of the air until the two witnesses left the room. Alexander was in tears.
At that point, Alexander’s parents approached the table standing in protest.
Only vice chair and Block MP Andreanne Larouche had the wherewithal to call out what was happening in that moment and in so many other committee meetings across Parliament Hill – committees have become political and partisan in nature.
There is no doubt in my mind that had the discussion remained on point, things could have played out very differently for all involved — but, particularly for the witnesses who were blindsided by this dishonourable display — and further meetings would have been scheduled to accommodate a more fulsome compliment of witnesses.
From where I sat, every party except the Block — but particularly the Liberals and NDP — played a role in this disaster that only served to retraumatize witnesses and spark outrage in the general public.
I encourage you to watch the full 11-minute fracas here.
Then, have a listen to my very frank conversation with Megan Walker regarding the unbelievable way guests called to Parliament Hill were treated by their supposed hosts.
As executive director of the London Abused Women’s Centre from 1997 to 2021, Megan grew the agency from providing service to 200 women annually to providing 9,000 women and girls with immediate access to services.
Megan regularly speaks at conferences around the world and has attended the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
Megan has been consulted by all levels of government and has appeared as an expert witness before Provincial, Parliamentary and Senate Committees on legislative reform, victim’s rights, sex trafficking, sexual violence and sexual harassment.
Megan also served as a founding member of the Domestic violence Advisory Committee.
Between 2019 and 2023, 840 femicides were recorded across Canada. We know that’s an under representation because femicides are often attributed to accidents and other causes and that number doesn’t include women and girls who were disappeared and have yet to be found.
2024 is already another deadly year for women and girls with 111 femicides across Canada to date. Canada now averages one femicide every 48 hours.
Violence against women and girls is an epidemic and as Megan points out, it is NOT a private issue.
What the committee failed to hear was additional information and important recommendations witnesses were prepared to put forth during the question-and-answer portion of the meeting.
Partisan politics have no place in committee meetings. Partisan politics should never be entertained when committees are dealing with life and death matters and no, there is no space for it when it comes to violence against women and girls and the femicide epidemic.
Here are Megan’s recommendations for immediate action to stop femicide:
1. Legislate and define the term femicide in the Criminal Code. The term generally refers to the killing of females by males because they are female.
2. Canada signed a global treaty in 2018 committing to investigate and eliminate femicide, Canada has not followed through. Why not?
3. On September 15, 2022, the London Police Service Board, of which I am vice-chair, invited the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, former Minister of Justice and Minister of Women and Gender Equality to attend a meeting to discuss the “urgent need for a criminal code definition of femicide.” It’s been two years; still no meeting. There’s no urgency.
4. Humanize and name women and girls. They are the victims of femicide. Acknowledge that every 48 hours, a woman or girl is killed.
5. Follow Ontario municipalities, including London; declare femicide an epidemic.
6. Name victims and offenders publicly. Femicide is NOT a private issue.
7. Restraining orders, undertakings and peace bonds offer women and girls a false sense of security. Per examples above, they aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. The courts must become more relevant.
*The unresolved abortion issue from May 13, 2022 can be found starting on page 14 of the transcript for that Standing Committee on the Status of Women meeting.
The motion before the committee that day was moved by Liberal MP Pam Damoff: “Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee has considered Bill C-233, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Judges Act (violence against an intimate partner), and wishes to make the following recommendations to the government: The recommendations would be: That the committee considered issues and consequences around the availability of cell service in the use of e-monitoring and recommends the Government of Canada move as soon as possible to ensure access to cell service is available across Canada, and that the committee feels strongly and recommends that when developing training for new judges, that issues of intimate partner violence, coercive control in intimate partner and family relationships, and social context be included.”
Following a 10:0 vote in favour of the motion to pass Keira’s Law — Bill C-233 — chair Karen Vecchio suggested adjourning the meeting as there was no other scheduled business.
At that point, Liberal MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos stated, “I'd like to move my motion that I brought at the last meeting. I'd like to read it once again and officially move it.
I move: That the Standing Committee on the Status of Women report to the House that (a) access and availability to reproduction health services no matter where one lives in Canada, including safe and legal abortion, is a Charter right, and is ensured under the Canada Health Act, and (b) the decision to have an abortion made by women, transgender, and non-binary individuals for any reason, is their freedom of choice and theirs alone.”
After some discussion, Lambropoulos' motion was put off to a ‘more appropriate time’ and the meeting adjourned.
Thanks to everyone who read today’s article and listened to my podcast. With your continued support, a little Nicoll can make a lot of change.
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Megan Walker says Canadian Parliamentary Committee on VAW silenced and pitted women against each other