Liberal minister says Kellie Leitch pepper spray call puts ‘onus on women’

Federal Minister for the Status of Women Patty Hajdu says Kellie Leitch’s “misguided” call for self-defence pepper spray puts the responsibility for violence against women on women.

The Conservative leadership hopeful, who has been running on a platform of  “Canadian values” and tightening immigration, says the legal restrictions on pepper spray and other sensory irritants means women are “forced by the law to be victims of violence.”

However, Hajdu says Leitch’s proposal is little more than a distraction.

“Violence against women is unacceptable in our society and our government is committed to making sure that women facing violence have a safe place to turn,” the minister said in a statement.

“Ms. Leitch’s proposal is unrealistic and offensive to women across the country,” she added. “Her misguided approach places the onus on women to defend themselves rather than focusing on addressing and preventing gender-based violence.”

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Hajdu also chided the previous Conservative government for “10 years of inaction” on the issue and noted the Liberals are developing their own strategy in co-operation with other governments and advocacy groups.

Leitch was named the Minister of Labour and Minister for Status of Women by former prime minister Stephen Harper in 2013. She served in his cabinet until the party was defeated in the 2015 election, a campaign that saw Leitch stumping for a tip line that allowed Canadians to report “barbaric cultural practices.”

The idea was widely criticized from the outset and Leitch later expressed regret for her part in the announcement. However, her leadership campaign carries echoes of the tip line issue, which has been denounced by some of her leadership rivals.

The focus on immigration and crime comes as the Ontario MP’s team seizes on some of the tactics and rhetoric used by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s successful campaign, which Leitch said had an “exciting message” for Canadians.

Her Twitter and Facebook pages are peppered with posts pitting “media” and “elites” against ordinary Canadians, similar to the powerful mix of economic populism and culture wars commentary that sent Trump to the White House.

Harper resigned his Calgary seat in August.