All Ontarians must create ‘safe spaces’ for young people: Wynne
Posted Jan 25, 2018 11:51:14 AM.
Last Updated Jan 25, 2018 11:59:30 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Premier Kathleen Wynne says she was “shocked” by the allegations that led to the resignation of Patrick Brown as Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader early Thursday morning, adding that it was the responsibility of all Ontarians to create safe spaces for young people.
“I think many of us feel very shaken by what we heard last night,” Wynne said.
When asked if she believed the allegations that led to Brown’s dramatic and swift downfall, Wynne responded cautiously that she was “not going to get into the legal aspect…but when I hear a young person come forward and talk about an experience…we have to pay very close attention to that.”
Brown called an emergency news conference on Wednesday night, where he denied allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against him by two women that date back to Brown’s time as a federal MP.
Facing mounting calls for his resignation and a staff exodus, Brown announced on Thursday morning that he was stepping down despite leading in the polls as Ontario heads towards a summer election.
Wynne wouldn’t elaborate on the political implications of Brown’s sudden resignation.
“There are obviously a lot of political questions that are going to come forward,” she said. “Right now I’m thinking of this as my role as a mother, as a daughter, and as a community leader.”
“The political fallout will be what the political fallout will be.”
The Premier called on all Ontarians to “shine a light” to create safe spaces for young people.
“The sum of what I want to say is that I stand with all of the people of the province who are trying to create those safe places…and I will continue to do everything that I can, but I recognize that I’m in this with so many people and we all have a responsibility to create that safety…”
“How can we expect young people to feel safe if we don’t as the adults create those spaces?” she asked.
Following Wynne’s statement NDP Leader Andrea Horwath spoke to the media, saying she was “disgusted” by the allegations against Brown. “We cannot allow this culture to continue, we need to call this behaviour out,” she said.
