A P.E.I. MP offered up some unwelcome advice on Twitter recently, telling a vegan to "have a T-bone steak."

Wayne Easter, who represents the Malpeque riding, was responding to a tweet in which Richelle Benoit questioned Easter and MP Lawrence MacAulay on their concerns for "healthcare & the planet" after a tweet about the politicians having an agriculture-related meeting.

Good meeting today w/ Rinnie Bradley of PEI Cattle Producers, cattle producer Jim Doyle & hog producer Jeremy Stead. <a href="https://t.co/UKk8Y2Iu2c">pic.twitter.com/UKk8Y2Iu2c</a> —@L_MacAulay

<a href="https://twitter.com/L_MacAulay">@L_MacAulay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WayneEaster">@WayneEaster</a> Did you talk about the enviro damage, drain on healthcare & abject cruelty of their sector? <a href="https://t.co/F3I0a6NOs7">https://t.co/F3I0a6NOs7</a> —@richelle_bee

<a href="https://twitter.com/richelle_bee">@richelle_bee</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/L_MacAulay">@L_MacAulay</a> we talked about how livestock contributes to the economy, creating jobs, utilizes land, & provides healthy food —@WayneEaster

<a href="https://twitter.com/WayneEaster">@WayneEaster</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/L_MacAulay">@L_MacAulay</a> So yeah - completely neglecting negatives & the externalised costs the sector downloads on healthcare & the planet. —@richelle_bee

<a href="https://twitter.com/richelle_bee">@richelle_bee</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/L_MacAulay">@L_MacAulay</a> have a T-bone steak. It will make you feel better. —@WayneEaster

'It was just a quip'

Richelle Benoit, who goes by @richelle_bee, lives in B.C. and describes herself as an animal advocate.

"I didn't expect that from a member of Parliament that I would be dismissed when asking policy questions," she told CBC News.

'What I would like to see is action from government,' says animal advocate Richelle Benoit. (Submitted)

But Benoit added she doesn't take the response to heart.

"It was just a quip, it wasn't meant to be hurtful. What I would like to see is action from government."

When contacted by CBC News, Easter said he had no idea idea Benoit was a vegan.

"I found that out after," he said.

"I will admit, if I had known this person was a vegan I wouldn't have used that statement ... so that was inappropriate to say to a vegan.

"I believe very much in animal production and a variety of foods but if somebody else has a different philosophy and they want to eat other products that's entirely up to them. That's their right," said Easter.

'Attack on animal production'

Animal Justice executive director Camille Labchuk, who is from P.E.I. and grew up in Easter's riding, also waded into the online debate, along with many others.

<a href="https://twitter.com/WayneEaster">@WayneEaster</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/richelle_bee">@richelle_bee</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/L_MacAulay">@L_MacAulay</a> Wayne, this seems like a pretty dismissive response to an important policy question. —@CamilleLabchuk

"Her question actually deserved a serious response, especially from an MP who's elected to voice people's concerns and listen to them," Labchuk said.

Camille Labchuk waded into the Twitter debate as well. (animaljustice.ca)

But Easter said he did respond by tweeting that they talked about how livestock contributes to the economy, jobs, and provides healthy food.

He said things went downhill from there.

"I wouldn't call it a debate, I'd call it an attack," Easter said.

"I reacted maybe a little aggressively against, basically, their attack on animal production and on producers when I'm dealing with producers who are struggling to make a life."

Benoit said the discussion among politicians needs to be broader.

"They only talk about the benefits of the sector, they never talk about the negatives and there are plenty of negatives, so I'd like to see some balance."