Harassment allegations remain mystery to Weir

Party-imposed deadline has passed for complaints against Regina NDP MP

New Democrat MP Erin Weir says he remains in the dark about any specific allegations of harassment against him, despite the party’s deadline for complaints having come and gone.

“I do not know of any specific complaint against me,” Weir told The Canadian Press in an email Thursday. “I am, of course, eager for the investigation to proceed in a timely fashion and to learn the nature of any allegations.”

The Saskatchewan MP was temporarily suspended from his duties earlier this month after caucus colleague Christine Moore alleged that Weir had engaged in harassing behaviour towards women, including party staff members.

While Moore said she had not personally experienced anything untoward, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh deemed the allegations serious enough to suspend Weir and launch a third-party investigation.

Any would-be complainants were given until Feb. 20 to report any incidents to the investigator, University of Ottawa law professor Michelle Flaherty.

The NDP won’t reveal whether any specific complaints were received, saying that information rests solely with Flaherty.

“The deadline for the investigator to collect information was Tuesday,” NDP spokeswoman Sarah Andrews said in an email.

“Based on what she has collected, she will work on her report. Until that is ready, I do not have any further information.”

Andrews would not say when Flaherty’s report is expected to be complete.

Moore sent an email to all NDP MPs on Jan. 30 that alleged a number of women had complained to her about harassing behaviour from Weir, who had just announced his intention to run for the position of caucus chair.

Weir has protested his innocence, and in an interview with CTV’s Power Play, said Moore’s complaint hit him like a bolt out of the blue, adding: “It feels like it might have been politically motivated.”

While he acknowledged that Moore’s email put Singh in a difficult position and that any allegation of harassment needs to be investigated, Weir did question the fairness of being publicly named in the absence of a specific complaint.

Weir, 35, a former economist with the United Steelworkers union, was first elected in 2015 in the riding of Regina-Lewvan.