OTTAWA—There is nothing new about sexual harassment on Parliament Hill, says Employment Minister Patty Hajdu, but it is time to get serious about supporting its victims and stopping it from happening in the first place. The proposed changes would merge separate labour standards for sexual harassment and violence, subjecting them to the same scrutiny and dispute resolution process, which could mean bringing in an outside investigator to review allegations. Read more:Female MPs share stories of sexual harassment on and off Parliament Hill in surveyEditorial | Tackle sexual harassment on Parliament HillElizabeth May says young political staffers most vulnerable to sexual harassment on Parliament HillThe new rules would also — for the first time — bring parliamentary staff under the protection of the Canada Labour Code. That aspect of the legislation has taken on increased significance as the #MeToo movement has reached Parliament Hill, including allegations against Liberal MP Kent Hehr, who resigned from cabinet last week pending an investigation. “We cannot be bystanders any longer,” she said, calling on the government to require everyone — from volunteers and interns to MPs and ministers — to take training on how to prevent sexual harassment from happening in the first place.

Source: thestar January 29, 2018 21:09 UTC