Darshan Kang, the Liberal MP who is under investigation for alleged sexual harassment, spoke out Tuesday, proclaiming his innocence.
The member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeauās Liberal caucus is facing allegations that he sexually harassed one of his constituency staff members.
In a statement emailed to Ā鶹“«Ć½ on Tuesday, Kang, the MP for Calgary Skyview said he is on medical leave as a result of the stress the allegations have caused.
āWhile I cannot comment directly on an open, ongoing investigation, I continue to proclaim my innocence and will defend my reputation at all costs,ā said Kang.
After days of questions on how heāll respond to allegations levelled against the Liberal MP, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remained tightlipped Tuesday.
When asked why Kang had not yet been removed from caucus, Trudeau said heās waiting for the independent process in place to respond to allegations of misconduct against parliamentarians to run its course.
āOver the past two years we have developed here in Parliament a strong series of processes to deal with harassment allegations and complaints of this typeā¦ Weāre allowing that process to undergo in a responsible way,ā said Trudeau.
On Tuesday, NDP Status of Women critic Sheila Malcolmson called on Trudeau to immediately remove Kang from the Liberal caucus, pending the outcome of the investigation.
āIn the past, the Prime Minister has advocated a āzero toleranceā approach to handling allegations of sexual harassment by Liberal MPs. Yet the Prime Minister has failed to act and refused to comment, even though the allegations against Mr. Kang surfaced weeks ago,ā she said.
According to the chief government whipās office, the House of Commons chief human resources officer is conducting an investigation into the matter, based on allegations made by a member of Kangās constituency office staff.
āWe were made aware of the allegations and referred them, as per the House of Commons process, to the chief human resources officer,ā Charles-Eric Lepine, chief of staff for the government whipās office, said in a statement.
Lori Williams, an associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, said Kangās political career hangs on the verdict of the investigation.
āItās very bad news if the findings go against Mr. Kang, itās very bad news for him. His political career is probably over, and in the worst way possible. And of course itās very bad news for the Liberal party,ā she told CTV Calgary.
The Calgary MP was first elected to federal office in 2015 as one of two Liberals to claim seats in the primarily Conservative-leaning city. He previously served in Albertaās provincial legislative assembly.
āFor the past decade, I have dedicated my life to public office,ā Kang said in the emailed statement Tuesday.
Calgarians are divided over whether Kang should remain in public office.
āI think he should be held to a higher standard than an individual working in the private sector,ā said local resident Shane Griffin.
Dana Cook said Kang is entitled to due process.
āIf itās innocent until proven guilty, then I think he should be able to continue doing what heās doing until that is found,ā Cook said.
Prior to the 2015 election, then-Liberal leader Justin Trudeau expelled two MPs from caucus amid allegations of sexual misconduct by two unidentified NDP MPs. This prompted the Procedure and House Affairs Committee to create a code of conduct on harassment and a policy to handle these complaints.
The Liberal caucus is holding a retreat for its 183 Members of Parliament in Kelowna, B.C. Sept. 5 to Sept. 7.
With files from CTV Calgary
