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Sunday, January 28, 2018

Ontario Conservative leader quits after sexual misconduct claims



   Canada column for Sunday, Jan. 28/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT
   (c) By Jim Fox

   The Ontario Conservative party has been thrown into disarray after leader Patrick Brown abruptly resigned over sexual misconduct claims by two unidentified women.
   Brown, 39, a bachelor, denies being involved in inappropriate actions with the young women about 10 years ago.
   In his fall from power, Brown says he will remain a politician for Simcoe North as he fights the accusations.
   The bombshell comes just months before Brown was to lead his party into the June 7 provincial election as a favorite against the ruling Liberals and New Democrats.
   The Conservatives appointed finance critic Vic Fedeli to be interim leader while naming Brown’s successor will be done by March 31.
   Fedeli suggested that Brown take a leave of absence to defend himself, adding that he “believes the women.”
   Meanwhile, Kent Hehr has resigned from the federal cabinet as sport and disabilities minister after being accused of making inappropriate sexual remarks while a provincial politician a decade ago.
   “Harassment of any kind is unacceptable and Canadians have a right to live and work in environments free from harassment,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

   ---


   Toronto police now say the deaths of billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife Honey in their home was a targeted double murder.
   Police earlier called their deaths “suspicious” after autopsies showed they died of strangulation on Dec. 15.
   Sherman was the founder of generic drug manufacturing company Apotex Inc. and had a net worth of $4.77 billion.
   Detective-Sergeant Susan Gomes said homicide is their conclusion after six weeks of collecting evidence and the search is on for their killers.
   The Sherman family has hired private investigators and a lawyer to help with the case.

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   News in brief:
   - Canadian Super Bowl television viewers will still be able to watch U.S. feeds and advertisements during the big game. Bell Canada, owner of CTV and the Sports Network (TSN), was unable to block the 2015 ruling by the Canadian broadcast regulator that banned the substitution of Canadian TV feeds and ads. The Supreme Court did grant Bell’s request to appeal the ruling.
   - Canada’s annual pace of inflation slowed to 1.9 percent last month largely as the price of gasoline eased. Statistics Canada said that excluding gasoline, prices were 1.5 percent higher as compared with a year earlier and matched the increase in November.
   - There is an indication the Canadian government will give financial help to the newspaper industry in the budget to be announced in late March. Prime Minister Trudeau said he is concerned about the financial crisis facing media in Canada and dealing with the challenge of the digital age.

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   Facts and figures:
   The Canadian dollar has advanced to 81.22 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.231 in Canadian funds before exchange fees.
   The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is steady at 1.25 percent while the prime-lending rate is 3.45 percent.
   Stock markets are mixed, with the Toronto exchange index down at 16,239 points while the TSX Venture index is up at 890 points.
   The average price for gas in Canada has risen to $1.208 a liter or $4.59 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
   Lotto 6/49: (Jan. 24) 9, 20, 21, 28, 34 and 35; bonus 33. (Jan. 20) 6, 10, 14, 27, 30 and 40; bonus 5. Lotto Max: (Jan. 19) 9, 18, 25, 30, 39, 40 and 43; bonus 5.

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   Regional briefs:
   - Nova Scotia’s Opposition leader Jamie Baillie has been forced to resign over sexual harassment allegations. An investigation found the Conservative politician acted inappropriately and breached the legislature’s policy on workplace harassment. Premier Stephen McNeil said people need to “feel safe in their place of work” while New Democratic Party Leader Gary Burrill said such behavior is “no longer part of the accepted landscape.”
   - A cyberattack that originated in North Korea targeted Ontario transit agency Metrolinx. Officials said no personal information was compromised and systems that operate its trains and buses were not affected. Metrolinx manages transportation services for the Toronto and Hamilton area.

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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

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