SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN POLITICS IS FINALLY OUT OF THE BOTTLE

Someone recently noted on Twitter that once the lid comes off sexual harassment and sexism in Canadian politics, it will never be slammed shut again. The moment is upon us. Two Progressive Conservative opposition leaders resigned within 24 hours of each other — Patrick Brown in Ontario and Jamie Baillie in Nova Scotia. Both were accused of sexual misconduct.

At the same time, Calgary MP and federal sports minister Kent Hehr faced charges of sexual comments and touching from his days in the provincial legislature. By mid-afternoon Thursday, he had resigned from cabinet pending an investigation.

And it was revealed the provincial Liberal party has never spoken to Kirstin Morrell, who accused then-MLA Darshan Kang of persistent groping, despite a pledge to investigate. Kang, now sitting as an Independent MP, is facing similar accusations from a staffer in his federal constituency office from when he was a Liberal MP.

At one point in all this, Sonia Kont, communications chair of the United Conservative Party, tweeted that Liberals have a big problem.

She was quickly contradicted by UCP leader Jason Kenney, who said this is a non-partisan matter.

He’s absolutely right — no leader, including Kenney, knows whose party or caucus will produce the next outrage. They can only cross their fingers and hope it’s not theirs.

A whole world of hellish experience is opening at our feet, revealing trauma women in and around politics have endured for generations, mostly in silence and often in fear.

The political elites, feeling little pressure, have never dealt with the vast endemic problem. Anger built to the point where women are finally going directly to the public through lawyers, news conferences and social media.

But really, we knew, or should have known. It was all out there, often in clear writing, for men who cared to pay attention and devote some empathy.

Here’s what happened in 1981 to a young female politician travelling with an Ontario legislature committee on child abuse.

“We had been hearing presentations all day and the all-party group dined together that evening,” she later wrote.

“As I returned to my room, I was followed by another member who invited me to his room for a drink.

“I refused politely, whereupon he grabbed me and started to kiss me passionately.”

The woman was Sheila Copps, then 29. She later became a federal Liberal MP and deputy prime minister of Canada. The quote is from her book, Nobody’s Baby, published in 1986.

Her book gained notoriety but had no effect on policy or behaviour.

Copps was plagued by vicious sexism throughout her career. When she fought back, many politicians, including some conservative women, accused her of political correctness.

In the House of Commons, Copps was called “slut,” “witch,” “God damn ignorant bitch.”

Progressive Conservative minister John Crosbie shouted at her: “Just quiet down, baby” — hence the title of her book.

In 1994, Sydney Sharpe wrote The Gilded Ghetto: Women and Political Power in Canada, which revealed the deep pain of many prominent women who had never spoken out before.

Sydney and I are married, but you don’t have to take my word on how important this book is. The Globe and Mail called it the best thing ever written about women in politics.

Monique Begin, once a prominent Liberal minister, detailed how she was gently patronized as a young junior MP, but was subjected to increasing jealousy, hostility and abuse as she began to be promoted past the men. Her defence became weight. “I created around myself a physical protection,” she said. “I put on 60 pounds in six months, as soon as I became a minister. I suffered for it enormously and was laughed at by reporters.

“They would ask me at the door of the House: ‘When is it due? Who’s the father?’”

This has gone on and on, a trail of shattering abuse and disrespect that became even more difficult to root out as norms changed and public insult grew riskier.

One of the most vicious slurs was aimed at Judy LaMarsh, a minister in the 1960s government of Mike Pearson: “Well, can you imagine going to bed with that?”

More than 50 years later, on Nov. 22, 2016, Sandra Jansen read out in the legislature some of the vitriol and threats she received after she crossed the floor from the Progressive Conservatives to the NDP.

“Traitorous bitch ... dumb broad ... stay in the kitchen ... useless tit ... fly with the crows and get shot.”

All this is not new in Canadian politics. It’s very, very old.

Now that women are finally taking back the power denied them so long, the lid can’t be forced shut again.

It no longer exists.