Conservative leader Erin O’Toole says she asked the House of Commons to investigate allegations that Alberta MP Shannon Stubbs created a toxic work environment for her staff.
The move prompted others, including those who want O’Toole to be toppled as leader, to come to her defense after she called for her leadership to be reviewed following the party’s electoral defeat.
O’Toole says he learned of the allegations, which were first reported by the Globe and Mail on Monday, last week while on tour in Quebec. The Canadian Press has confirmed an allegation in the report that employees say they felt pressured to paint their home.
Stubbs’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but told the Globe that the house painting was a gift and denied any wrongdoing, saying it felt under attack for asking for a review of O’Toole’s leadership.
Read more:
Public Safety Minister Wants RCMP Harassment Report Findings Implemented
David Parker, a former staff member who worked in Stubbs’ office for nearly a year starting in 2016, told The Canadian Press that it was clear that for the MP, “nothing was good enough, ever.”
Three other former staff members, who spoke to The Canadian Press on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation, allege that Stubbs would openly criticize his colleagues in the office, send overnight text messages and make derogatory comments.
The Canadian Press has not reviewed these alleged communications.
Read more:
Next The Conservative Party Leader Better Not Take Alberta for granted: MPs
O’Toole said Monday that he asked the House of Commons to investigate the matter because the allegations are serious and he expects his MPs to conduct themselves in a professional manner.
“As I have been a leader for a year, I have placed the expectation on all my parliamentarians that we will have a professional and respectful work environment,” he said in response to the accusations.
Read more:
Former Alberta UCP Staff Member Alleges Sexual Harassment and Binge Drinking in Lawsuit Against Prime Minister’s Office
Others, however, have come to his defense.
Gregory Loerts, who currently works in his office, tweeted Monday that it is “wonderful to meet Shannon personally.”
“The work has been challenging, but extremely rewarding.”
Former Conservative Cabinet Minister Gerry Ritz tweeted Monday that “Shannon is a great MP.”
The Globe and Mail reported that Jordan Paquet, who worked for Stubbs for four months in 2020, told the newspaper that he “got on very well” with Stubbs. He added that “he did not notice anything abnormal. No abuse or anything like that. “
Stubbs has so far been the only Conservative MP who has publicly called for party members to review O’Toole’s performance within six months of losing the September election.
Outside of his first caucus meeting in October, Stubbs said O’Toole changed some key conservative political positions and that the rank and file deserved a voice if the leader intended to make more changes to the party.
Alissa Golob, co-founder of the anti-abortion organization RightNow, which has fiercely criticized O’Toole’s promises to protect the rights of conscience of healthcare professionals, tweeted Monday that the leader was embarking on a “hunt for witches “. . “
© 2021 The Canadian Press
Reference-globalnews.ca