Virginia Waters MHA Cathy Bennett doesn’t think Premier Dwight Ball is taking the right approach to investigations into harassment complaints against former Liberal cabinet ministers Eddie Joyce and Dale Kirby.
Bennett spoke publicly Tuesday morning in support of Liberal colleagues who have filed complaints of harassment and bullying against fellow members of the House of Assembly, while also calling for a broader investigation into workplace culture.
Her call for a different approach was not the only challenge for the premier, with Liberal MHA Colin Holloway refusing to endorse the premier even when pressed by reporters, and NDP Leader Gerry Rogers calling for the premier’s resignation.
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“Leaders don’t resign in challenging times,” the premier said when asked by a reporter outside of the House if he would be stepping down.
Harassment complaints filed against Kirby and Joyce are being reviewed by the commissioner for legislative standards. Kirby and Joyce have been removed from the provincial cabinet and Liberal caucus until that work is completed.
Both Kirby and Joyce were absent from the House on Tuesday.
Far-reaching concerns
In interviews throughout the day, Bennett said there are issues at play reaching beyond any one specific incident or harassment complaint.
Speaking with reporters, she referred generally to her own personal experiences with “bad behaviour” and use of the “tools of bullying” within the Liberal caucus, saying it contributed to her decision to step down as Finance minister in 2017.
The premier was asked if Bennett had ever communicated the fact she did not feel supported in her role.
“No, because the level of support was always given,” he said, repeating multiple times during the day he personally supports his ministers and his understanding was Bennett stepped down for “personal reasons.”
At no point did he indicate that he ever asked Bennett the nature of those personal reasons.
Bennett has called for an outside expert in harassment to be tasked with a broader review of the work environment for members of the House of Assembly, but the premier said the commissioner would have the power to address any concerns reaching beyond the specific complaints put forward.
No endorsement
Meanwhile, Holloway, the MHA for Terra Nova, was speaking to reporters during the afternoon about being the target of harassment and bullying, when he was asked if he still supported Ball as the Liberal leader.
“Mr. Ball is the current leader of the Liberal party and that’s where we find ourselves today,” he said.
He was then asked directly if he thought the premier should resign.
“I have no opinion on that today,” he said.
Opposition responses
Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie did not say Dwight Ball should resign.
But he was critical of Ball’s responses to questions, and the overall political state of affairs in the province.
“It’s hard to believe if the premier is doing his job of being premier — which includes responsibility to be aware of what’s going on around him — first of all, it’s hard to accept that he was unaware. But if he was unaware, is he doing the job that he’s expected to be doing? (It) includes setting the tone for interactions between his caucus members and each other, and his caucus members and other members of the House of Assembly,” he said.
Crosbie referred to the “disarray” in the Liberal ranks and told reporters the PCs do not have any similar problem.
In a follow-up post to social media, he said the PC party should be put into power when the next provincial election comes around in 2019.
Rogers said the premier needs to resign.
She did not say she wants a general election, but did call for more to be done to get back to government business.
“It’s clear that he and his government are no longer able to govern in this very critical time in the history of the province and this is a very serious issue,” she said, in front of the House.
“I believe that we are all astounded at what we have seen occur in the past week. It doesn’t seem to be resolved and we don’t know what’s coming forth.”
Rogers said there are no issues of bullying or harassment in the ranks of the NDP.
“I think it’s a systemic issue, it’s a cultural thing,” Independent MHA Paul Lane said in the lobby of the Confederation Building prior to the afternoon session in the House. “It’s not a Liberal thing, it’s not a PC thing – it’s a systemic thing. It’s been going on for years.
“What I think has happened is that people have decided, we’ve come to the point, and society has decided, that this kind of behaviour is no longer acceptable. That’s really what’s happened. To suggest that this is a Liberal, this is a Ball Liberal issue, it really isn’t. This could have happened during the last administration. It just happened to occur now.”
