NDP kicks out MP over harassment claims
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says a “rehabilitative approach” with MP Erin Weir was not possible. Outside investigation found allegations against Weir were ‘sustained’
OTTAWA— The Saskatchewan MP expelled from the NDP caucus Thursday after a threemonth harassment investigation says his behaviour was “far from what most Canadians would think of as harassment,” and hopes leader Jagmeet Singh welcomes him back to the party fold.
Singh revealed the conclusion of a third-party investigation of Regina—Lewvan MP Erin Weir Thursday morning, when he announced his decision to kick him out of the NDP caucus. The probe concluded that one claim of harassment and three claims of sexual harassment against Weir were “sustained,” Singh said.
Singh said he was originally willing to work with Weir so that he could remain in caucus, but that the MP’s statements about the investigation and the motivations of one of the complainants this week showed he is “unwilling to take appropriate responsibility for his actions.”
“This makes it clear that the rehabilitative approach was no longer possible,” Singh said.
The party leader would not disclose the exact nature of Weir’s behaviour, but said the investigator defined sexual harassment as “acts of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected to cause offence.” Singh said the investigation found Weir “did not recognize non-verbal signs” in social situations and that this behaviour led to “significant negative impacts” on the complainants.
He added that when Weir was told “his advances were unwanted, he immediately stopped.”
Weir responded by calling the investigation “deeply flawed” and that he should be reinstated as an NDP caucus member.
In an interview with the Star, Weir said he was presented with a summary of the allegations last month, which made it clear to him that he has missed “social cues” and sometimes sat or stood too close to women, or spoke with them for too long. He said he was not told when, where or who was making the allegations, but that the investigation involved people who were NDP staff or volunteers and that the complainants did not work for him.
“There was no finding of unwanted touching or of any comments or gestures of a sexual nature,’ Weir, 36, said. “It was entirely about physical proxim- ity to people and talking to people more than they wish to speak with me.”
A party official speaking on background told the Star later Thursday that Weir’s explanation is a “mischaracterization” of the report’s conclusion. “It was more than simple proximity,” the official said, describing the alleged actions as a “pattern” of behaviour “of a sexual nature.”
Weir said the investigation found he did not have authority over any of the complainants, and that the publicized conclu- sion has tarnished his reputation.
“Anytime anyone Googles ‘Erin Weir’ now, what they’re going to find is ‘harassment.’ And now we have this term ‘sexual harassment’ being used to describe what everyone seems to agree are quite minor incidents,” he said.
“This is about talking to people at cocktail parties over whom I had no authority,” he said.
“I’m a bachelor, so I will approach women that I’m interested in. I don’t know that I’ve ever been described as especially flirtatious.”
The investigation into Weir began in February, after Quebec NDP MP Christine Moore sent an email to the NDP caucus that included unspecified allegations that Weir harassed women, including party employees.
Singh responded by saying it is important to believe women, called for a third-party investigation into the allegations and suspended Weir from his party duties while it was being conducted.