By Nancy Osborne …
As I read so many of the commentaries on the Patrick Brown situation this morning, something really concerned me.
Like the majority of people, I “know” only what has been reported in the media. That means I can really only safely attest that there are accusations and he has stepped down.
What worries me are all the recent comments (not just pertaining to the Patrick Brown situation) about; “his day in court”; where is the police investigation?; he has not been charged; etc…
Maybe at some point in some of these situations there will be grounds for criminal charges and it will lead down that road, however, that is not the only road.
Let’s put aside the specific case of Patrick Brown and the emotion attached to it for a moment. There are a number of legitimate avenues for accusations of harassment or sexual harassment especially in the workplace, not the least of which is falls under the organization’s own Harassment Policies.
Most organizations and corporations have very strict written Harassment Policies. Individuals are bound by these policies and are normally made aware of these when hired and through a variety of outreach and educational programs usually led by HR with the endorsement of senior management. Dismissal is usually one of the possible outcomes of a breach, particularly if the situation involves a possible abuse of power.
Indeed, if the allegations are serious there might even be immediate actions to ensure the individual is removed from their physical place of employment until some sort of final decision is determined. In addition to providing comfort and safety to others in the office, I am sure consideration is also given to the seriousness of the allegations and the position held by the individual. In other words, consideration for the immediate risk to the reputation of the organization while the appropriate resolution is being sought would be weighed.
I can hear the “that’s not fair” comments, but unlike courts of law, organizations have obligations to their clients, shareholders, public, etc… as well as individuals inside the organization, and are not bound by the same parameters.
Unfortunately, there are many cases wherein organizations do not enforce their own policies and the targets of any kind of harassment in the workplace are not supported. But my point is that not all situations end up in, or even require, police investigations, criminal charges or a ruling from the public judiciary to be valid.
Again, I am not relating this to one specific situation but there does seem to be some tunnel vision when we are looking at a number of recent situations and reflecting only on options involving our judiciary.
Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our free newsletter here.
Nancy Osborne has seen some terrible things throughout her military career and during her time with the United Nations as a security specialist. Serving in the Security Branch of the Canadian military, Osborne enlisted as a Private and retired as a Major 21 years later. She was honoured with a CD (the post-nominal letters for the Canadian Forces Decoration) and is recipient of the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of Canadian Confederation in recognition of a significant contribution to Canada as well as a Commander’s Commendation. Following retirement, Nancy was recruited in 2002 by the United Nations as one of the first women ever deployed as a security risk adviser in the support of UN humanitarian operations in high threat environments. In 2010, Nancy was appointed as a security manager at UNICEF Headquarters in New York. From there she managed global emergencies affecting UNICEF staff and provided extended surge support in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Haiti and South Sudan. When Nancy retired she thought that it would be a shame not to use all of that training so she launched a not-for-profit called I Got This as a platform for workshops called Unlocking Your Instincts for women.
Whether the accusations are true or not, the bottom line remains that his own party doesn’t want him. How can you lead a caucus that doesn’t support you?
Patrick Brown certainly has the right to his day in court (and he says he will take legal action against his accusers). But that doesn’t mean he has the right to remain as leader of a party that doesn’t want him. And the fact that his closest political advisors quit rather than support him made that abundantly clear.
I have always advocated equality for women in all aspects. However, this issue of sexual harrassment against Patrick Brown at this critical time in his political career seems to be blatantly orchestrated. The accusers are allowed to hide behind a ludicrous veil of secrecy while their accusations destroy Brown’s reputation and career. Is this in any way fair? The media insinuated that the instigators were the Liberals and now there are whispers of the perpetrators being disgrunteled Conservatives! The Conservatives dumped Brown like a hot potato, offering no public support at all. The Liberals openly gloat. Who does one vote for in the upcoming election…dumb or dumber?
Scott Stayer says what was done to Patrick Brown was wrong. He then proceeds to use the same accusation by innuendo tactic to suggest the Liberal government may have created their own miracle. If there was any basis to this, surely the Conservative Party would be defending Patrick Brown and threatening to sue the Liberal government.
This does not seem fair. If there is a hint of a harassment and it turns out to be unfounded it’s too late for the accused. People generally find them guilty and you just dont forget about the man that was pointed at with harassment . Again true or false it sticks in your mind. This is a very serious charge and should be investigated before announced in the media. A lot of government things are kept from us so this could as well until proven true. If proven false then no one needs to hear about it.
Science says that the male of the species is designed to pursue the opposite sex, It is nature. I would never condone harassment, sexual assault let alone rape, but where do you draw the line.
I’m hearing of some men that are loosing interest in the pursuit due to fear of being accused of one of the above, perhaps years after a date or an otherwise friendly encounter.
Just sayin’
I am troubled by all this to say the least. I have a wife, a daughter and a granddaughter. All precious to me. I understand the issue.
However I wonder where all this current “inappropriate behaviour” stuff is going to take us. At some point there must be proof of allegations before they are made public. The reasons for this are obvious.
As things stand everyone, male or female is vulnerable. This isn’t just or acceptable.
Let’s all think about how to resolve the situation.
Totally agree with Scott Stayer – just wait to see how much lower the poll lagging Liberals can, and probably will, go. Twenty years (or more) ago, the rules were quite different and coming forward now is ridiculous – history can’t be changed, but our acceptance currently, certainly can, and should, adapt with the times
What was done to this man is wrong, his career is now over. He broke no laws or he would be facing charges by now. This is strictly political. You have a liberal government that are so low in the polls that they needed a miracle to give them a chance to win the next election now this. Is it possible they created their own? If you dig deep enough you can find unflattering information on everyone. unflattering but not illegal. He deserves an opportunity to face his accusers. This will allow him to be found guilty or exonerated. If exonerated I’m sure a civil suit will follow.
This man is ruined regardless of whether he is innocent or guilty. It does not seem fair to me. It’s a bit like holding our forefathers/mothers to our modern day rules and social views particularly PC.