Manitoba premier orders review of harassment policies

Premier Wab Kinew says he’s ordered a review of the Manitoba government’s harassment policies following former MLA Sarah Guillemard saying she was assaulted.

“What I’d like to see is just a continued upkeeping of the standard that people are safe when they come to work in the public sector,” Kinew said Wednesday.

Guillemard shared on International Women’s Day on social media that she was groped by an older, former MLA, in 2017, just under a year after she was elected.

Guillemard explained in the post how she tried to find help within the legislature and PC Party, but instead found herself being asked not to share her story publicly all while responsibilities were being taken away from her.

“Ms Guillemard has my unequivocal support. The PC Caucus does not tolerate abuse, harassment, or violence in the workplace,” a statement to CityNews from opposition and interim PC Party leader Wayne Ewasko said. “After MLAs and their staff suffered 17 years of a toxic and unsafe work environment under the Manitoba NDP, Progressive Conservatives stood up and strengthened the Legislative Assembly’s respectful workplace policy as well as the internal policies of our caucus.”

Kinew said he ordered a review of the current “no wrong door” harassment policy Monday after Guillemard shared her story.

“Sarah is somebody that I served alongside for two terms in the legislature. I respect her and was very concerned of what she had to share,” said Kinew.

Skepticism over effectiveness of harassment policy review

The “no wrong door” harassment policy was brought in by the former PC government under Brian Pallister in 2018 following groping and other sexual harassment allegations that surfaced against former NDP cabinet minister Stan Struthers.

The Déjà vu is leading to skepticism about if the review Kinew ordered would actually lead to change.

“It seems to be an ongoing issue, regardless of the party in power in Manitoba,” said Shannon Sampert a political scientist at the University of Manitoba. “It’s not going to change anything until we actually change the political culture in Manitoba and until we make it absolutely clear that men and/or women in positions of power do not have the right to place their hands on other individuals unless they have consent.”

Advocates say striving for an environment where instances of sexual harassment are taken seriously regardless of the person being accused, goes a long way.

“How do we make it easier for people to report and come forward. Some of our findings were that it is a really tricky environment because people come with different positions of power,” said Chi Nguyen, the executive director of Equal Voice. “The nature of politics makes it a hard place to come forward. In terms of the work to address those barriers, there’s things the house can do itself, and there’s things the party can do as well in terms of setting the tone.”