CALGARY—The Alberta Party is proposing sexual misconduct investigations against sitting MLAs not be handled by the civil service – and not the Speaker – citing recent allegations against two unnamed NDP MLAs.

At the moment, a sitting MLA accused of sexual misconduct would be investigated by the Speaker of the Alberta Legislature, an official charged with overseeing debate and protocol by MLAs. Speakers are non-partisan but elected by the governing party, a situation the Alberta Party says is problematic.

“This can introduce a conflict of interest concern when the MLA under investigation is also from the governing party,” the party said in a statement on Sunday.

Instead, the Alberta Party is proposing investigations be handled through the Legislative Assembly Office, who currently oversees legislature employees and handles complaints involving them. Once an investigation is complete, it would be given to the Speaker — the head of the Legislative Assembly Office — who would then “release it to the public in a transparent manner.”

The recommendations come several months after Premier Rachel Notley’s office announced two sitting NDP MLAs had been accused of sexual misconduct since 2015 in incidents which happened outside of the workplace.

Despite calls to release their names, the NDP has refused, saying this was done to protect the complainants’ privacy. Two lawyers retained by the party independently investigated the allegations, and the NDP has said they’ve followed the recommendations, though their final report won’t be released to the public.

Read more:

Identities of NDP MLAs accused of sexual misconduct will be kept secret to protect complainants, Notley says

Alberta Party calls for review of NDP investigation into sexual misconduct allegations

NDP pressured over sexual misconduct reports, experts concerned about complainants

The Alberta Party would also update MLAs code of conduct if elected into government “to bring it into the 21st century”.

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