OTTAWA—Newfoundland MP Scott Andrews says he will run in the next federal election, but whether he will be allowed to run as Liberals depends on the outcome of an investigation that may never happen.

“Absolutely,” Andrews told reporters in Long Harbour, N.L., on Wednesday when asked about his plans to put his name on the ballot.

Yet the future is anything but clear for Andrews and his fellow Independent MP Massimo Pacetti, or for the two unidentified female NDP MPs who levelled allegations of “personal misconduct” against them, which sources say were sexual in nature.

Neither Andrews nor Pacetti responded to a request for comment Wednesday, but both have denied the allegations.

The way ahead could be equally as murky for Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who on Nov. 5 suspended Andrews and Pacetti from the Liberal caucus — as well as their candidacies — pending the outcome of an investigation the two NDP MPs so far want nothing to do with.

Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer on Tuesday wrote in a letter to Liberal whip Judy Foote that the resources of the House administration as well as “external experts” are available to both the Liberals and the NDP to help resolve the impasse.

“The members may wish to avail themselves of these resources, all of which place a particular emphasis on maintaining confidentiality and impartiality,” Scheer wrote, but added this process could not happen without the co-operation of the four MPs in question.

“The most successful resolution of any harassment complaint relies on the willingness of all involved parties to come together to address the issues,” Scheer wrote.

The unidentified female NDP MPs who made the allegations — one directly to Trudeau while they travelled together on a bus Oct. 28 — have made it clear they do not want to proceed with a formal complaint at this time.

“We can only go at the pace that they want to go (to). They are the ones who decide that,” NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said Wednesday.

“We’re hopeful,” Foote said Wednesday. “It’s their decision entirely whether they decide to participate.”

Trudeau said he is going to give the complainants a few days to think about whether they want to take advantage of the new process.

“I do want to allow time for reflection and thinking through what obviously is a very difficult issue,” Trudeau told reporters, but also suggested he could end up going ahead without them.

“We have already taken extensive notes on what the individuals in question shared about the incidents.

“It was the basis for our decision to suspend the two MPs in question, so there is certainly information that we can follow up, but at the same time that would not be ideal and I will wait to see if we will have a formal process.”

Trudeau said, as of right now, Andrews and Pacetti cannot run as Liberals.

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“We have suspended the candidacies of the two individuals in question pending the unfolding of various investigations and discussions over the following weeks,” he said.

“We will make a determination in the future as to whether they will be candidates for us next year. For now they will not be candidates for us next year.”

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