Justin Trudeau was taking some heat for being the guest of honour at a “ladies night” event in Toronto on Thursday, but the Liberal leader says the fuss was being overblown by Conservatives.

Critics, including a couple of federal cabinet ministers, are portraying the $250-a-ticket event as “patronizing” to women.

“What’s the biggest issue facing women? This kind of crap,” Michelle Rempel, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, wrote on her Twitter feed Wednesday evening.

Transport Minister Lisa Raitt said the invitation raises questions about Trudeau’s respect for women.

“In asking someone to attend a political fundraiser, show some respect — $250 is a serious investment. Don’t talk down to me,” Raitt said on Twitter.

The “ladies’ night” has been organized by two women with close ties to Trudeau — Mary Ng, who works in the president’s office at Ryerson University, and Amanda Alvaro, a communications strategist and frequent Liberal commentator.

It’s being billed as “Justin Unplugged,” and promises to give ticket buyers a chance to “really get to know the future prime minister.” The poster says that the event will be filled with questions such as “what’s your favourite virtue” and “who are your real-life heroes?”

“We have a group of young women, professional women in the advertising industry, who decided to put together an event for women, by women, to try and draw them into politics in a slightly different way — and decided to go very tongue-in-cheek with the ad out there,” Trudeau said Thursday, while campaigning with Chrystia Freeland, Liberal candidate in the Toronto Centre byelection on Nov. 25.

He said he wasn’t worrying “for a second” about the reaction from Conservatives.

“We’re seeing once again that every time you try to do something a little bit differently or push boundaries, or get a little bit creative, you’re going to get some negative feedback,” he said. “I’ll take no lessons in respecting women or minorities from the Conservative Party of Canada.”

New Democrat MP Niki Ashton (Churchill) mocked the $250 price tag and the invite for women to “share their favourite virtue.

“It is 2013 and all issues are women’s issues: health care, the economy, Keystone XL,” Ashton said in the Commons. “It seems the Liberals think being condescending and patronizing is a virtue.”

Alvaro responded to the Twitter furor with her own tweet on Thursday morning: “Get a grip, people. It’s an evite, not a platform. Reading WAY too far into it.” Alvaro encouraged people who were curious about the event to buy a ticket and join the audience.

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Initially, no media were permitted to attend the event, but Trudeau’s organizers changed their minds at 7 p.m.

With files from Bruce Campion-Smith

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