The federal Green Party stumbled in its first reaction to accusations against leader Elizabeth May, but has picked itself up and is taking the allegations seriously.
After brushing aside the complaints of workplace harassment, the party 鈥� at May鈥檚 request 鈥� has asked lawyer Sheila Block to investigate.
The Toronto Star has reported that several former staff members say that May, the MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands, created a hostile work environment by harassing and intimidating them. They said May yelled at people and disparaged them verbally and in emails.
One of the accusers, Rob Rainer, said he complained to the party but was ignored.
In response, the Green Party started off by saying the complaints were coming from disgruntled staff, and added that May was being lambasted for behaviour that would be praised in a male manager. That deflection turned out to be too much for the party to maintain.
On Monday, it announced Block鈥檚 investigation. May denies she has ever been a bully.
The Greens are unused to being at the centre of a scandal, but they should know better than to accuse the accusers at a time when the powerless are finding voice to confront the powerful. And suggesting that men are praised for being bullies makes the party look desperate. Anyone who abuses their power must be held to account.
At the same time, neither the party nor the public can afford to be stampeded into hasty judgments. Any decisions must be based on convincing evidence and a process that everyone sees to be just and in keeping with Canadian values.
May deserves a fair hearing, and so do the people who have accused her.
