Ottawa’s toxic political climate breeds harassment
For political neophytes, getting the chance to work on a federal election campaign in Ottawa is something of a dream job.
It’s not glamorous work. They fill out forms. Answer phones. Monitor social media. Nevertheless, it gives young people access to the most important halls of power and allows them play a role in shaping the future of the country.
It also comes with a warning. “You were told to stay away from certain MPs. You were told to be careful about where you went with certain MPs, even myself as a young male staffer,” said Niagara West- Glanbrook Progressive Conservative MPP Sam O os te rh off, who worked for the federal Conservatives during the 2015 election. “So, I can only imagine what that was like, and having those conversations with my female colleagues at the time, who expressed discomfort. And it was never a particular issue, it was always a general understanding that there was a toxic atmosphere in place sometimes that, in all parties.”
Oosterhoff, the youngest person to be elected to Queen’s Park, shared his experience of life in the political bubble of Parliament Hill with The Standard this week after the allegations of sexual misconduct precipitated the resignations of Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown and party president and former St. Catharines MP, Rick Dykstra.
Brown resigned after CTV News reported sexual misconduct allegations made by two women against him.
Dykstra stepped down from the party a few days later just before MacLean’s Magazine published a story alleging he sexually assaulted a young woman in Ottawa.
Both men have denied the allegations against them.
Federal Conservative leader Andrew Sheer has launched an internal investigation to determine why Dykstra was allowed to stand as a candidate for the party when the assault allegations were known and being debated by party leaders.
Oosterhoff, 21, did not say which MPs he was warned to stay away from and said he was never informed of a specific allegation about sexual assault.
However, he said young staffers were keenly aware that it would be unwise to spend time with some politicians, particularly at night.
“It’s a high- powered environment. There’s incredible expectations, very long work hours, alcohol flows freely in the evenings, at least it did federally,” he said. “And I think that that’s the type of environment where those types of behaviours can flourish unless there’s a change, and I think there is a change. I think, when I was there staffing, then younger staffers were saying this isn’t okay, this is unacceptable, and we’re not going to allow this type of situation.”
Oosterhoff said attitudes around sexual conduct sometimes break down along demographic lines: older, established politicians vs the younger generation.
“What I talked about during my nomination already, back in 2016, is something that I think is really coming back to haunt some of these situations for the Old Boys club,” he said. “There’s a feeling in politics that people deserve to get certain things because of their status, whether they’ve been an MP for 10 years, or whether they have had an elected position for a while, or who they know.”
Oosterhoff said he is not painting all older, male politicians with the same brush, but said he believes that for some, acquiring positions of power allowed them to “take advantage of that position and use it for sexual harassment or sexual abuse. Because it was something that had always happened, it was an Old Boys club, this is what it meant to quote, unquote ‘ have game’, or something like that, in some sort of twisted approach to masculinity.”
Oosterhoff, who said he was shocked by the allegations levelled against Brown and Dykstra and praised the bravery of the women who came forward, said political culture is changing because of the next wave of politicians
“I think there’s a shift occurring in younger generations, such as mine, that understand the importance of equality, that understand the importance of dignity, and worth, and that see the need for men to hold themselves and to be held up to higher standards when it comes to their behaviour and when it comes to their treatment of women, and I’m very, very impressed by the number of women who have come forward with these allegations, which are serious, but are necessary to come forward with. I don’t think you can see meaningful change on these types of actions on these types of behaviours unless we have people that are willing to come forward and speak about their behaviour.”