2 women appointed to lead probe into sex harassment, misconduct at Manitoba

The Manitoba NDP has appointed two women as commissioners to investigate reports of sexual harassment and misconduct from staff and elected officials. Earlier this month several women said that Stan Struthers, an NDP cabinet minister from 2003 to 2014, tickled them, groped them or made sexual remarks. Former NDP premier Greg Selinger apologized, but said he never witnessed inappropriate behaviour. Selinger plans to resign his legislature seat on March 7. “The commission is tasked with investigating the experiences of staff and elected officials who were subject to sexual harassment and misconduct,” the party said in a news release. The release mentions, Kemlin Nembhard and Sandra DeLaronde as the two appointees. Kemlin Nembhard is a former provincial government civil servant with a history of working with community organizations; and Sandra DeLaronde is co-chairwoman of the Coalition for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and executive director of the Indigenous Women’s Leadership Institute. The party has said that they are to identify problems and make recommendations for the NDP to build a workplace where everyone feels safe and respected.The NDP has said that the Commission to Establish a Safe and Respectful Political Environment will conclude its work by the end of April and submit an interim report to the NDP convention in May.