Statement by Liberal Party of Canada Leader Justin Trudeau on allegations against two Members of Parliament

March 19, 2015

MONTREAL – The Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the independent review into allegations of misconduct by two Members of Parliament:

“I have received the complete findings of human rights lawyer Cynthia Petersen’s independent review into allegations of serious, personal misconduct by two Members of Parliament.

“Diligence and confidentiality were imperative to this review, and I thank Ms. Petersen for her exemplary work. Having served as the Discrimination and Harassment Counsel for the Law Society of Upper Canada for over a decade, I am grateful for Ms. Petersen’s expertise in this matter.

“I also extend my appreciation to all those who participated in this independent process.

“I accept the decisions of Mr. Massimo Pacetti and Mr. Scott Andrews to sit as Independent Members of Parliament and to not seek the Liberal nominations in their respective ridings. As such, I consider this matter closed.

“As I have previously indicated, the Liberal Party of Canada is supportive of any constructive measures that aim to improve workplace safety and protect those who work in Parliament from harassment. We need to protect and encourage anyone who comes forward with allegations of this nature. With that in mind, future action should include a focus on training and prevention, and the Liberal Party of Canada will independently pursue training for all of its staff and Caucus members.

“This process was initiated in order to conduct an independent, fair, and confidential review. I will have no further comment on this matter.”