Queen’s Park, May 9, 2016 – My question is to the Premier. On Friday, the Premier revealed that she asked former MPP Kim Craitor to resign because of allegations of sexual harassment. In response, Craitor said, “I do know that the party paid them”—meaning the victims—“to keep the allegations quiet, and had them sign a non-disclosure agreement not to talk.”
A former staffer in the MPP’s office has confirmed that she was bound by non-disclosure. Women should not be forced to go public with allegations of sexual harassment but they should not be muzzled either.
Did the Premier require the complainant to sign a non-disclosure agreement and did she pay her to keep quiet about the allegations?
Supplementary
An editorial today rightly points out that secrecy about sexual violence and harassment does not serve the public good. Rather, it signals to victims that there’s something to be ashamed of. Requiring victims to keep quiet, making them sign non-disclosure agreements and paying them for their silence does nothing to help survivors heal. Instead, it often protects perpetrators and in this case it prevents embarrassment to the Liberal Party.
Again to the Premier: Were victims paid to keep quiet about allegations of harassment? If so, who ordered the payoffs and where did the money come from?