POLITICAL POWDERKEG
After the #MeToo movement prompted people around the world to share their stories of sexual assault and harassment, accusations have begun to emerge from Canadian political circles. In Alberta, investigations of Liberal MPs Kent Hehr and Darshan Kang have shocked supporters, as allegations surface in Ontario and Nova Scotia.
A former Liberal MLA says he never heard allegations of misconduct made against Calgary Centre MP Kent Hehr during his time as a provincial politician, but he supports the investigation.
Hehr resigned from the federal cabinet Thursday, pending the results of an investigation over accusations he made inappropriate sexual comments to female staff in the legislative assembly when he was a Liberal MLA.
Harry Chase, Opposition whip between 2008 and 2011, said Friday that he received no complaints about Hehr during that time, nor did he hear “even rumours” of inappropriate behaviour.
“So I was surprised to hear these allegations,” said Chase, who chose not to run again as the MLA for Calgary-Varsity in 2012.
Chase believes Hehr did the right thing by resigning as minister of sport and persons with disabilities during an investigation.
“The process is the right way to handle the situation. Resigning allows for a hearing to take place, whatever the outcome will be,” he said.
Hehr, a quadriplegic who has used a wheelchair since being the victim of a random shooting in 1991, was the MLA for CalgaryBuffalo between 2008 and 2015. In the 2015 federal election, he and another Calgary MLA, Darshan Kang, became the first Liberal MPs elected in the city in four decades.
The controversy around Hehr arose in the midst of the international #MeToo movement to expose sexual harassment and followed the swift resignation of Progressive Conservative leaders in Ontario and Nova Scotia over alleged sexual misconduct.
In that climate, Kristin Raworth came forward this week, first on Twitter and then in media interviews, to raise concerns over Hehr’s actions.
Raworth said she was warned when she started working for a Progressive Conservative MLA in the Alberta legislative assembly in 2008 to not be alone in an elevator with Hehr because he made inappropriate comments and made female workers feel unsafe.
She said the first time she met him he called her “yummy,” and he made similar remarks or tried to brush up against her in subsequent encounters.
A former Tory ministerial aide who worked in the legislative assembly during that period said Friday it was common knowledge among female staff that Hehr would make sexualized comments.
The former staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there was also worse behaviour among some members of the PC government of the time, with some “creepy” MLAs routinely making comments to female staff and at times groping employees.
Female employees looked out for each other and made sure they didn’t get cornered by certain MLAs, she said, noting “There was so much that was known and you just knew who to avoid.”
Kang has also come under fire for alleged misconduct while an MLA.
The Calgary Skyview MP faced accusations last year that he sexually harassed an employee in his federal constituency office.
That prompted another woman, Kirstin Morrell, to come forward to say Kang repeatedly groped and kissed her despite her rejection of his advances while she was his provincial constituency assistant between 2011 and 2012.
The provincial Liberal party promised an investigation last September, but Morrell said she’s seen no evidence it took place. The party and its leader, David Khan, have refused to comment.
Chase said he’s never been contacted by the provincial Liberals about Kang and he was not aware of any alleged misconduct by him during his time as an MLA.
Kang, who left the Liberal caucus to sit as an Independent last summer, is subject to a House of Commons investigation over his alleged behaviour in his federal constituency office.
The investigation into Hehr is different because the accusations relate only to his conduct as an MLA.
The PMO has authorized a thirdparty inquiry by lawyer Christine Thomlinson into the allegations against Hehr. It is the same process used for an investigation of PMO staffer Claude-Eric Gagne, who took a leave of absence last fall over unspecified allegations.
Hehr — who declined an interview request Friday — did not address the allegations against him in his resignation statement but said he always tried to treat others respectfully.
“I understand the most important thing is how each individual feels,” he said.