#MeToo roars into Ottawa
Hehr’s resignation could signal flood of allegations against politicians
OTTAWA — Kent Hehr resigned Thursday as federal minister of sport and disabilities after an allegation of sexual misconduct, but there was a palpable tension in Ottawa that a flood of accusations against other politicians could follow.
The resignation dropped less than 24 hours after Patrick Brown resigned as leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party following separate allegations of misconduct.
Current and former political staffers say the allegations against the two men could release a flood of others, and in tweets, Facebook posts and quiet conversations, more stories are already being told. Journalists’ inboxes soon started to fill with new rumours and accusations following the resignations.
In a statement Thursday, Hehr did not directly address the allegation but said he believes harassment is never acceptable and everyone deserves to have their voice heard.
“Throughout my career I have always tried to conduct myself with respect towards others and I understand the most important thing is how each individual feels,” he said. “I have been informed that an investigation into these allegations has begun and I welcome and respect this process.
“While this is ongoing, I have resigned from Cabinet pending the outcome of the investigation. I do not want to be a distraction to all the good work being done by our government.”
Lawyer Christine Thomlinson has been engaged to conduct an independent investigation for the government.
In a separate statement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “Harassment of any kind is unacceptable and Canadians have a right to live and work in environments free from harassment.
“As a government we take any allegations of misconduct extremely seriously, and we believe that it is important to support women who come forward with allegations and that is exactly what our government will do.”
Science Minister Kirsty Duncan will take on Hehr’s ministerial duties during the investigation.
The allegation against Hehr came to light Wednesday night, in the midst of the uproar over allegations against Brown, when one woman took to Twitter.
Kristin Raworth, a public servant in Alberta, seemed to be motivated by what she saw as the start of the “Canadian political #metoo movement.” She wrote about inappropriate comments made by Hehr, who was an Alberta MLA from 2006-15.
“My first day working at the Alberta legislature I was told to avoid being in an elevator with Kent Hehr,” Raworth wrote. “He would make comments. He would make you feel unsafe.”
She went on to say that Hehr once told her “you’re yummy” when she was alone with him in an elevator.
In the hours since then, other stories have begun to surface, not always with names attached. One former political staffer on Parliament Hill wrote a Facebook post on Thursday detailing an encounter with a former MP that took place 16 years ago, during which she says he kissed her forcefully while driving her home from an event.
Political staffers, she said, can’t easily speak up against sexual harassment, particularly when it comes from the politicians who employ them.
Meanwhile, when Raworth took to Twitter on Wednesday night, she referred to lawyer, author and political strategist Warren Kinsella, who wrote a column last month asking why the #MeToo movement hadn’t yet hit Ottawa.
On Wednesday night, as the news about Brown was unfolding, he posted an update. “My weeks-ago prediction that the #MeToo movement would hit political Canada?” he wrote. “It did.”