HEHR PLEDGES TO IMPROVE APPROACH AFTER CRITICISM
Minister under fire for ‘ brash’ comments says he is not rethinking his political future
Embattled federal cabinet minister Kent Hehr is vowing to push past current controversies, but his political troubles could prove to be a threat to the federal Liberal beachhead in Calgary.
Hehr, the MP for Calgary Centre and the city’s sole representative in the Liberal cabinet, has come under fire for three instances where he allegedly spoke rudely to constituents in meetings.
Speaking to reporters at a federal funding announcement in Calgary on Friday, an emotional Hehr pledged again to improve his approach and reiterated that he can come across as “brash and insensitive” at times because of his direct manner.
But Hehr, who intends to seek re-election in 2019, said he’s not rethinking his political future despite the controversy.
“I work very hard on behalf of my constituents. I serve at the pleasure of the prime minister. I am working as hard as I can in my portfolio,” said the minister of sport and persons with disabilities.
“I can only do the best I can moving forward.”
The federal Conservatives have taken aim at Hehr over the allegations, but have not publicly called for his head.
However, there have been calls from the public and media for Hehr to resign from cabinet or be fired by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau has stuck by Hehr so far, however.
Hehr only narrowly won the Calgary Centre riding in 2015, beating incumbent Conservative MP Joan Crockatt by 750 votes to become one of two Liberal MPs elected in the city — the first in four decades.
The other, Calgary Skyview MP Darshan Kang, left the Liberal caucus earlier this year because of allegations of sexual harassment.
Mount Royal University political science professor Duane Bratt said he doesn’t expect Kang will return to the Liberal caucus or run again in the 2019 federal election.
And he noted that Hehr was going to be in a difficult political fight even before the allegations of disrespectful behaviour surfaced.
The federal Conservatives, who have long dominated Calgary, have painted the Trudeau government as being anti-Alberta, pushing too hard on carbon pricing and being insufficiently supportive — and even hostile — to pipelines. The party is expected to push hard to regain the two Calgary seats lost in 2015.
“These things have not helped (Hehr). They go right to his credibility,” said Bratt.
Hehr has apologized for some of his interactions, but in other cases, has flatly denied making the comments attributed to him.
The controversies started earlier this month when a group of thalidomide survivors accused Hehr of belittling them with insulting and degrading remarks in an October meeting, including saying that “’everyone in Canada has a sob story.” A Calgary woman involved in a class-action suit against Ottawa over maternity benefits then came forward to accuse Hehr of being insulting and condescending during their meeting.
A Nova Scotia activist also said Hehr had been rude in a meeting while he was veterans affairs minister.
Bratt said the conduct of Hehr — who has used a wheelchair since being the victim of a driveby shooting at the age of 21 — are puzzling, noting that during his time as an MP and MLA, Hehr has been seen as “compassionate and gregarious.”
“It goes against what I always thought were his strengths.”
Some Liberals say they have a difficult time believing the charges against Hehr.
“There are certain comments where I said, ‘there’s no way he would have said that,’” said Calgary lawyer Darryl Raymaker, a longtime prominent federal Liberal in the city. “In this day and age … we’re too quick to convict on allegations.”
Raymaker said Liberals aren’t ready to concede Calgary to the Conservatives.
“Until election day happens, everything that happens before, it’s hard to determine what the ultimate impact will be.”
But Conservative MP Michelle Rempel said she detects a major sense of frustration with Hehr and the Liberals.
That’s been compounded by recent events, which she said appear to be a “disregard for basic constituency work” by Hehr, said Rempel.
“I don’t think he’s been an effective voice for the city, to put it mildly,” said the Calgary Nose Hill MP.
I work very hard on behalf of my constituents. I serve at the pleasure of the prime minister. I am working as hard as I can.