Peter Stoffer is the latest name in a growing list of current and former Canadian politicians denying accusations of sexual harassment, while simultaneously apologizing for any wrongdoing.
In an awkward press conference Friday morning in the frigid cold outside Pier 21, Stoffer spoke for about six minutes about his history with the party, his volunteerism and his reputation for being well-liked on the Hill.
“I’ve always been a gregarious, fun-going person,” said the former MP.
Stoffer called the press conference to respond to allegations of inappropriate conduct first published yesterday in the National Post.
In the reported story, Lauren Dobson-Hughes, then a young staffer, describes two incidents of being groped and kissed by Stoffer in front of several other colleagues. She says she reported it to the party at the time, but nothing was ever done. The Post interviewed three other women who worked with Stoffer in Ottawa who also reported incidents of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.
Today, Stoffer categorically denied any allegations of harassment.
“I have never ever in my life either sexually assaulted [or physically] abused anybody. Not at all.”
Nevertheless, Stoffer then went on to apologize for his behaviour.
“They’re saying that some of my demeanour, some of my comments were inappropriate. And for that, I humbly apologize without reservation.”
The former politician admitted he has not reached out directly to Dobson-Hughes or any other former colleagues to apologize, but said he regrets putting them in “that type of situation.”
“I humbly ask for their forgiveness in this regard.”
Stoffer served as MP for 18 years before losing his Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook seat in the 2015 election to Liberal challenger Darrell Samson. In his political career, he was regularly voted the “Most Collegial” Parliamentarian by Maclean’s and the “Most Fun MP to Work For” by the Hill Times.
He opened his remarks on Friday recalling the “fun” and “open-door” policy in his old office.
“A lot of people can come and have a cold one,” he said. “They could play some darts. They could just come in and release the tension.”
When asked if he had ever been confronted with allegations of sexual harassment before yesterday, Stoffer deflected.
“There were always rumours that you hear,” he said. “Everybody knows that I’m a hugger and a touchy person. Everybody knows that.”
In the last two weeks alone, three Canadian politicians have been publicly accused of sexual assault, harassment or misconduct. Patrick Brown resigned as leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative party. Liberal MP Kent Hehr resigned from Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, pending an investigation. And closer to home, NS PC leader Jamie Baillie resigned following a third-party investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement Thursday that he is “deeply disturbed” by the allegations against Stoffer. Singh promised the NDP would continue efforts to “review, renew and expand” its harassment policies.
Stoffer has informed the NDP he will no longer attend conventions.
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This article appears in Feb 8-14, 2018.
This is not a case of something that was “an acceptable practice” at the time. This was never OK. Never. I’m in my 50’s, and women and girls have been talking about this behavior and the men who engage in it, about how to avoid them and how to protect ourselves and each other from them, since I was a teenager. Men didn’t do this because they thought women didn’t mind it. They did it because they COULD. But it was NEVER OK. Women just never had the power to stop it. Now we do.
You can disagree all you want. It was not acceptable to the women who were the targets of it. That’s a fact. Facts are not contingent upon your agreement or disagreement. It was acceptable to the men who were doing it, obviously. And it would still be acceptable to those men if women weren’t finally raising holy hell about it.
Vengeance? Yeah, a little. There are a couple of men I’d personally like to wreak some vengeance on. Like the superintendent of the first apartment building I lived alone in, in 1983, who “joked” to me that he had the master keys and could let himself into any apartment at any time. But for the most part, all we want is an apology. That, and acknowledgment. If you’re a man who has treated women like chew toys in the past, OWN IT. Get on top of it, especially if you’re a public figure. Just grit your teeth and say, “I have behaved inappropriately and disrespectfully toward women in the past. I now understand that it was wrong, and I am sorry.” Stoffer almost did the right thing, but his apology is soured by the making of excuses. Just own it, apologize and mean it, and do better. That’s all we want.
It’s unfortunate that with the climate today we can’t have a rational discussion about the movement that is sexualizing ALL men and their actions. It’s funny to see people frantically trying to sexualize people’s actions to prove that that there is such a thing as sexual assault. The problem with this is that there is no clear, legal line drawn, and instead we have people accusing other people of very serious crimes that will be fought in the media and not an actual investigative setting, where a neutral party decides the outcome. That coupled with the notoriety that comes with allegations like these, where the victim recieves undo praises for being so brave and whatever leaves me slightly skeptical of the genuinity of some of these accusation, and the motivation behind them.
Do I think he had the intent to sexualize and victimize anyone? Absolutely not!! Do I think this is an over reaction to get some press time? Absolutely yes, but in today’s climate I may just be pilloried for my thought crimes!! Even the law of averages tells us that a few of these unfounded and un-investigated accusations will be false, or at the very least, twisted to get attention. The problem with the latter is that the damage to a person’s life and reputation has already been done before an actual investigation, and the media is more than willing to ruin lives and diminish a person’s accomplishments in the name of “journalism”. This idea that some women believe they are above the law in this regard is a giant problem that borders on bullying and libel. Even though I believe this is a conversation that needs to be had, but, it also needs to be defined without all the irrational, emotional reactions.
Coyote dear, you are missing context. That type of behaviour was contextually accepted at the time. It has – for the most part – stopped. Mr. Stoffer and others have apologized. They do not engage that type of behaviour any more. There is no way to go back into the past and change things. He made no excuses; quote what you belive is an excuse. Aside from an apology, there is nothing more that can be offered you. Take it or leave it but nattering on just makes you and others look petty.
I watched the video of Stoffer’s apology on CBC. You’re right. He didn’t make excuses. Some print media spins it as if he did, but the words out of his own mouth belie that impression. I stand corrected. The apology is good enough for me. I can only speak for myself, but as far as I’m concerned, any man who acknowledges past douchebaggery and expresses a sincere desire to do better gets a clean slate.
You keep saying it was accepted at the time. The point you are missing, “dear”, is that it was accepted BY MEN. When you can wrap your mind around the idea that women’s distaste for this “accepted” behavior MATTERED, that women’s non-acceptance of it was just as much a part of the context you so blithely reference, as men’s acceptance, then you will have begun the journey toward not thinking like a sexist.
And don’t call me “dear”. That kind of condescending, patronizing crap is an earmark of the attitude you claim is a relic of the past.
Nothing need be “proven in court” because Stoffer hasn’t been charged with, or even accused of, a crime. He’s been accused of inappropriate behavior, which isn’t illegal. Whether you believe the accusation or not is entirely up to you, regardless of the fact that he unreservedly admitted that they are true. Go watch the video on CBC and hear the words out of his own mouth.
Also, it may astonish you to learn that people are allowed to talk about their own experiences, even publicly, without having proof that those experiences occurred. If Chad Dudebro follows me into the bathroom at a party when nobody’s looking and grabs my breast, the fact that I can’t prove he did it doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to tell anyone,or everyone. It’s up to the police, if I decide to go to them, to decide if charges are warranted. Only then can there be talk of “proven in court”.
Coyote! Put the noose down! Think; don’t emote. And yes, the justice system states people are innocent until proven guilty.
While that doesn’t suit you now, it would have suited you if you were a woman in Salem in the late 1600s when we would have just pushed you off a cliff.
No one is arguing that Justice shouldn’t be had; we are simply saying that lynch mobs and testing women for witchcraft is not the route that should be taken…