Liberal MP Darshan Kang accused of sexual harassment
Kang is one of two MPs who broke a decades-long losing streak for the party in Calgary
The federal Liberals have confirmed Darshan Kang, one of two Liberal MPs in Calgary, has been accused of sexual harassment.
"We were made aware of the allegations and referred them, as per the House of Commons process, to the chief human resources officer," Charles-Eric Lepine, the chief of staff to Chief Government Whip Pablo Rodriguez, said in an email to CBC News.
The Hill Times in Ottawa first reported the allegations on Friday, tracing the complaint back to an unnamed employee at Kang's constituency office in northeast Calgary.
CBC News has not been able to independently verify that the complaint came from an employee at the constituency office.
Tight-lipped
The Prime Minister's Office declined to comment on the situation and a spokesperson for the Liberal party directed all enquiries to the whip's office.
No one was answering the phones at Kang's Calgary Skyview constituency office, nor at his Parliament Hill office where his phone mailbox was full.
Calls to Kang's home and cell phone also went unanswered.
Kang, along with Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr, broke a long losing streak for the Liberals in Calgary — prior to the 2015 election, a Liberal hadn't been elected in the southern Alberta city since 1968.
Before entering federal politics, Kang was a two-term MLA representing Calgary-McCall in the Alberta legislature. He was first elected in 2008.
MPs expelled in 2015
The Liberal party under Justin Trudeau has taken allegations of sexual harassment seriously in the past, expelling two sitting MPs from the caucus in 2015 after complaints filed by two NDP MPs.
That action followed an independent investigation into the allegations.
Calls to the House of Commons media line had not been returned by the time of publication.
With files from Catharine Tunney