Tories looking for new leader after Patrick Brown sex scandal

The Progressive Conservatives are scrambling to find a new leader in the wake of Patrick Brown’s sudden resignation after a sexual impropriety scandal just four months before the Ontario election.

Thestar.com
Jan. 25, 2018
Robert Benzie, Rob Ferguson, Kristin Rushowy

The Progressive Conservatives are scrambling to find a new leader in the wake of Patrick Brown’s dramatic resignation following a sexual impropriety scandal just four months before the Ontario election.

MPP Vic Fedeli, a popular former North Bay mayor, is poised to be selected “parliamentary leader” by his caucus colleagues Friday morning at Queen’s Park.

Sources told the Star that Fedeli (Nipissing) has lined up the support of more than half of the other 28 Tory MPPs.

But Conservatives are still deeply divided over whether an interim leader selected by a few caucus members should lead the party into the June 7 vote.

"We need an opportunity to have those conversations internally," said Progressive Conservative deputy leader Sylvia Jones, less than 12 hours after Brown's 1:25 a.m. resignation on Thursday.

“We are fortunate to have a team of talented, experienced MPPs willing to serve,” added Jones (Dufferin-Caledon), who did not rule herself out as a candidate.

CTV News reported Wednesday night that two women allege Brown, a teetotalling bachelor, made unwanted sexual advances when they were drunk. They were teenagers at the time and he was a Conservative MP.

While the PC leader tearfully denied the allegations as false and had initially hoped to hang on at the helm he stepped down early Thursday following a tense conference call with Tory MPPs.
His departure came after the resignation of six key aides.

“Defeating Kathleen Wynne in 2018 is more important than one individual,” said Brown. “For this reason, after consulting with caucus, friends and family, I have decided to step down as leader of the Ontario PC party. I will remain on as an MPP while I definitively clear my name from these false allegations.”

In an email to caucus obtained by the Star, PC president Rick Dykstra said the party is moving quickly to find a new leader.

“I have requested that the Ontario PC caucus elects an interim leader. They have agreed and have informed me that they will be meeting Friday morning,” wrote Dykstra.

“The election of an interim leader is in accordance with article 23.1 of the PC party constitution, who will serve as interim leader until a new leader is elected in a leadership election conducted pursuant to article 25 of the constitution,” he said.

“A leadership election will take place at such time as the PC party shall determine in its discretion.”

Jones and MPP Steve Clark, the party’s other deputy leader, said caucus would elect a “parliamentary leader” Friday morning at Queen’s Park, but left open the possibility of a different permanent leader by election time.

“Was last night a hiccup? Absolutely,” said Jones, who later retracted that comment, saying she “misspoke” by describing the events in that manner.

The jockeying to replace Brown is already at a fever pitch.

In North Bay, Fedeli said he would “let my name stand for leader of our party.”

“I look forward to meeting with my caucus. Most of us haven’t gone to bed yet. Many in the caucus say: ‘It’s your time, Vic,’ ” said the MPP, who ran for leader against Brown in 2015, but dropped out before the final ballot.

MPP Lisa MacLeod (Nepean-Carleton), the first Tory caucus member to publicly support the two women who complained about Brown, has also been mentioned. She ran in the May 2015 leadership contest as well.

The runner-up to Brown in that vote, Christine Elliott, was appointed Ontario’s patient ombudsman by Wynne.

Supporters of star PC candidates Caroline Mulroney, a lawyer who is running in York-Simcoe, and Rod Phillips, the former head of CivicAction and the party’s candidate in Ajax, are already touting them.

“We must make sure these injustices are never tolerated,” Mulroney, whose father is former prime minister Brian Mulroney, wrote in support of the two women.

“We are living in a powerful moment where woman and girls across Ontario, Canada, and around the world are ending their silence and their stories of sexual harassment are being heard.”

Phillips said while caucus should choose an interim leader “for the coming weeks and months,” the Tories should be led into the election by someone chosen by all party members — not just MPPs.

“Our party is made up of some 200,000 members across our province. This isn’t without its challenges, given the timelines, but it is the right thing to do,” said the former chair of both Postmedia and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

Other names mentioned as a possible leader include former foreign affairs minister John Baird, who was also a provincial cabinet minister, and federal Tory MPs Lisa Raitt and Erin O’Toole.

Before Brown stepped down, his chief of staff, Alykhan Velshi, his campaign manager, Andrew Boddington, his advertising guru, Dan Robertson, and his press secretary Nicholas Bergamini resigned en masse.

Following their departures, prominent campaign strategists Joshua Workman and Ken Boessenkool also quit.

Their resignations came as the Tories have been gearing up for the June election, in which they had high hopes of toppling Wynne’s Liberals.

The premier said while there are no plans to delay the vote, she insisted it was not a day to talk about electoral politics.

“I was shocked. I think that many of us feel very shaken by what we heard last night,” Wynne told a massive throng of reporters in her office at Queen’s Park. “The political fallout will be what the political fallout will be.”

Asked if Brown should remain as a Tory MPP, she replied: “That is up to him to deal with his own conscience.”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said he has to leave Queen’s Park.

“If he was in my caucus he would not be sitting as an MPP any longer,” Horwath told reporters.

Progressive Conservative MPP Laurie Scott, her party’s women’s issues critic, said the news Wednesday night “was a shock to all of us.”

“As someone who fights for victims of sexual exploitation every day, I believe that the voices of women always need to be heard,” said Scott (Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock).

In Davos, Switzerland, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “it’s extremely important that we make absolutely clear that sexual harassment and sexual assault is unacceptable.”

“We take these allegations extremely seriously when they come up. Obviously my thoughts turn immediately to the women who came forward, knowing how difficult it is and can be, to salute them for their courage and their leadership,” said Trudeau.

“I certainly hope their example will resonate and that the support of their friends, their family and the community at large remains with them.”

Meanwhile, Barrie police said they are “not involved in any investigation involving Patrick Brown” after the women’s allegations.

“In the event that a complaint comes forward, the Barrie Police Service will ensure that all measures are taken to ensure a frank and impartial investigation,” said spokesperson Nicole Rodgers.

“The Barrie Police Service takes all allegations of sexual assault and intimate partner violence very seriously and when reported they are investigated thoroughly and comprehensively.”

McMaster University political science professor Henry Jacek said the controversy could have a silver lining.

“Brown was not a good choice as leader . . . he has not bonded with the (populous) . . . people just don’t know him,” said Jacek.

“The problem is, the timing is bad for them. That Brown is gone is probably good for them, but it should have happened a year ago . . . or six months ago, but, worse, a month from now.”

Former Tory cabinet minister Janet Ecker said Tories have to rally behind whoever is leader and quickly.

“If we fall apart and start . . . turning the cannon inward and firing, it won’t matter who we elect,” said Ecker.

“This is tragic no matter who you want to talk about,” she added. “I don’t think this is good news for anybody at this stage in the game. Other than clearly showing and I think this is the good news — that what was considered acceptable behaviour yesterday is not acceptable behaviour today.”

The PC party would be wise to consider electing a female leader, said Ryerson journalism professor Marsha Barber, who researches gender issues.

“Strategically it may be a very good idea,” she said, noting there are a number of strong female MPPs who could lead “and in view of what’s happened, it may be a good idea.”

She said the controversy “is something the party will be able to get past, but in the meantime the allegations are devastating and the party is going to take a hit.”