MP Blondin-Andrew denies interference

Liberal Ethel Blondin-Andrew, MP for the Western Arctic, says she was just responding to a constituent in a “discreet and confidential manner” when she called a woman last week about an incident involving the woman’s daughter.

The woman wanted to file a complaint of sexual assault against the adopted son of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on behalf of her 18-year old daughter.

Before contacting the RCMP, the mother of the alleged victim said she first called the office of Blondin-Andrew, a long-time acquaintance. She said Blondin-Andrew then called her three times to discourage her from going to the RCMP, telling her that the media would smear her reputation. Blondin-Andrew, the woman said, offered to send her family to a healing circle.

Following news reports about Blondin-Andrew’s calls, justice critics for the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance parties questioned whether Blondin-Andrew, the Secretary of State for Children and Youth, had tried to use her influence to stop the woman from filing a complaint against Michel Chrétien, 33.

Blondin-Andrew said she was only returning a call by the woman to her office.

“Any allegation by that person that I would try in any way to interfere with due process of law or try to influence that person wanting to pursue a judicial matter is completely unfounded,” said Blondin-Andrew in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Blondin-Andrew knew Chrétien and had reportedly let him use her Yellowknife apartment for one month earlier this year.

Last week, Chrétien was charged with one count of sexual assault in Yellowknife.

The arrest came 10 years after he was convicted for sexually assaulting an Inuk woman he met in a Montreal bar.