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OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says he still wants to wait for the investigation into how the party handled allegations of sexual misconduct against a former MP before deciding if any further action is necessary.
Former prime minister Stephen Harper and his chief of staff Ray Novak say they knew Rick Dykstra was facing accusations dating back to 2014, but could not justify removing him from the ballot in 2015 as no charges had been filed.
Scheer says he won’t comment on those statements, insisting the third-party investigation remains key to understanding the full scope of what happened.
Who will lead the review and what form it will take have yet to be decided, but Scheer says he wants to move quickly so the report can inform the structure of the next campaign.
As part of their new vetting process, the party is now requiring all candidates who want to run in 2019, including incumbent MPs, to say whether they have ever been accused of inappropriate sexual behaviour.
Scheer says all parties are dealing with the issue of how to handle allegations of sexual misconduct and he trusts all are working towards making changes that are meaningful.
