Jack MacLaren should be booted from PC caucus, Kathleen Wynne suggests

Premier Kathleen Wynne thinks Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown has to take tougher action to deal with an eastern Ontario MPP for his misogynist comments.

Brown moved this week to demote MPP Jack MacLaren as the PC caucus eastern Ontario representative over a crude, sexist joke he told about a Liberal MP and for posting fake constituent testimonials on his website.

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But Wynne strongly suggests she'd have kicked MacLaren out of the Liberal caucus for his comments about Liberal MP Karen McCrimmon at a fundraising event the two attended recently near Ottawa.

She calls MacLaren's language and behaviour unacceptable and says it "fuels misogyny."

MacLaren eventually offered an apology to McCrimmon, weeks after the event.

But Wynne says she would have expected a much more public apology and a more serious discussion about whether he should stay in the PC caucus.

Brown says he was quite upset with MacLaren and the PC caucus was disappointed with "the totality of these events," but agreed on the internal demotion as an appropriate punishment.