MPs should be careful with alcohol consumption on the Hill: Bennett

OTTAWA — Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett says MPs on the cocktail circuit must be cautious about alcohol consumption as Parliament Hill looks to put an end to inappropriate behaviour and tackle sexual misconduct.

Bennett, who has spent more than 20 years as a Liberal MP, says parliamentarians of all stripes are frequently engaging with other politicians and staff, adding every effort must be made to clean up the culture of the institution.

She says MPs are, in many respects, working all the time and need to be extra careful about their behaviour, noting people should not drink too much at events on the Hill.
But one former NDP staffer says a bigger issue for her than MPs drinking too much is the use of alcohol by men to make their intended targets more pliable.

Patrick Brown resigned Thursday as leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives following reports of sexual misconduct.

Two women, interviewed by CTV News but not identified, alleged Brown made sexual advances on them while he was a federal politician, after the women had been drinking; the women said Brown, who has categorically denied the allegations, had not himself been drinking at the time.