‘I need to know’ about misconduct claims, MP says

OTTAWA— Liberal cabinet minister Bardish Chagger has made it clear to her top aides that if they ever hear of sexual misconduct allegations involving anyone in her office, they need to tell her about it.

“I have spoken to my chiefs of staff to ensure that I am notified of these matters moving forward, because not only do I want to know, I need to know,” the small business and tourism minister said Tuesday.

The direction came after Chagger learned Rachel Bendayan, who was then her chief of staff, did not follow up on allegations that a former colleague had made sexually suggestive remarks toward a young woman applying for a job, because he had already quit.

“I did what I thought was best,” Bendayan said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “There was no further action we could take as an office.”

According to HuffPost Canada, Myriam Denis told Bendayan in August 2016 that a policy adviser in Chagger’s office had contacted her about a job opportunity through an online networking site, then made sexual comments during their meetings to discuss it.

In a first-person piece she wrote for the website, Denis said she came to realize the policy adviser, Vahid Vidah, lacked the authority to interview her and she ended up going through a formal application process that involved a telephone interview with Chagger, Bendayan and others on Parliament Hill.

After she was turned down for the job, Denis said she sent an email to Bendayan describing her interactions with Vidah.

“She told me that this entire thing was inappropriate and that she was very disappointed that I had to experience this interaction,” Denis wrote for HuffPost Canada. She added that Bendayan also confirmed Vidah had not been acting on her behalf and that he was no longer working there.

Chagger said she did not learn about the allegations until last week. “I find these behaviours entirely unacceptable,” she said Monday.

Vidah has not responded to a request for comment by The Canadian Press, but told HuffPost Canada that he did not make any sexual advances.