Leaders set tone for misconduct: NDP’s Singh
OTTAWA NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he has personally discussed the issue of sexual misconduct with his caucus members, and that his party has a zerotolerance policy for such behaviour.
It’s vital for someone in a leadership role to send a strong message about unacceptable behaviour, Singh said Thursday — a view shared by former interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose.
“It is something that I need to show leadership on — I have and I will continue to do so,” he said in an interview.
“It is important for a number of reasons. I set the tone of the party and that’s why it is so important for me to make sure that I make it clear in our party that there is zero tolerance for any form of sexual misconduct, of harassment.”
It’s important that political party leaders send a message — particularly to men — that sexual misconduct won’t be tolerated, Ambrose said earlier this week.
Leadership involves letting members of an organization know where the boss stands, while clear sexual harassment policies are relayed with guidance on how to use them, she added.
“Say to the men in your party, ‘Look, I know I am not speaking to all of you, but if there’s any kind of this behaviour, it has to stop — and if we found out there is some of it, it is going to come out and we are going to deal with it.’”
Singh said he agrees with veteran NDP MP Nathan Cullen that male MPs should be playing a more active role in eradicating misconduct from politics.