TORONTO: The leader of the main opposition party in Canada’s Ontario province said early on Thursday that he would step down from his post, a few hours after broadcaster CTV News reported allegations of sexual misconduct that he strongly denied.
By resigning as leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative party, Patrick Brown ended his high-profile campaign to unseat Ontario’s Liberal party Premier Kathleen Wynne in a June election. He was ahead in early polls in Canada’s most populous province, home to Toronto and the nation’s capital, Ottawa.
Brown said he would retain his post as an Ontario lawmaker while working to clear his name “from these false allegations.”
“These allegations are false and have been difficult to hear,” Brown said in a statement on the Ontario Progressive Conservative website. “However, defeating Kathleen Wynne in 2018 is more important than one individual.”
The party’s deputy leaders said in a separate statement that while Brown was entitled to legal defence and due process, “he cannot lead us into an election as a result of these allegations.”
Brown announced his resignation as head of the party just hours after promising to report to work on Thursday, vigorously defended himself at a dramatic, hastily called press conference. He did not take questions from reporters while make a statement a few minutes before CTV aired the report in its 10 pm Wednesday evening newscast.
The CTV report included allegations from two women who said he made advances towards them in separate incidents at his home several years ago.
CTV did not identify the women or show their faces. This agency was unable to verify the claims. — Reuters
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