A former political staffer is welcoming a review of harassment policy at Manitoba’s legislature but said more needs to be done.
Natalie Copps first worked as a legislative intern, going on to work as a political staffer for the Manitoba New Democratic Party when it was in power.
Copps is now studying law and told CTV News workplaces need to have neutral spaces where employees can come forward to talk about harassment of any kind.
“And that didn’t exist when I worked there. At least not in my experience,” Copps said, referring to her time at the legislature.
According to Human Resource Services director Deanna Wilson, her office saw an opportunity to strengthen its 2015 Respectful Workplace policies, one of which outlines the right to work in an environment “free of all forms of harassment, including sexual harassment.”
Copps referred to it as a “good start”, but said the conversation should have happened sooner.
Copps also said she’d like to see an independent body in the province that is solely responsible for investigating harassment complaints.
“Being able to have the ability to have somebody there that you know isn’t necessarily looking out for the political party, the business, or whoever, before the individual,” Copps said.
Status of Women Minister Rochelle Squires welcomed the review of practices and stressed that all measures should be taken to keep workplaces safe.
“We know in order for a woman to feel safe in coming forward with an experience that’s happened in the workplace, she needs to know that she’s going to be believed and that her experience will be taken seriously,” Squires said.
Squires addressed various forms of harassment she’d experienced throughout her career and said she wanted to break down barriers for other women.
NDP MLA Nahanni Fontaine told CTV News she felt the discussion was a timely one, and that she “fully supports” the review.
Fontaine also said the discussion needed to extend beyond the Manitoba Legislative Assembly to the greater community.
“It is important that for us to start here; we should be the leaders or the examples” Fontaine said.
“But I would hope that everybody across the country from coast to coast to coast would take this opportunity to review their own polices. And what are the protection mechanisms that we have for women that come forward?”
Revised polices will be posted online after they are approved by the Legislative Assembly Management Commission.
