OTTAWA — Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has abruptly ejected MPs Scott Andrews and Massimo Pacetti from his caucus in a display of zero tolerance for alleged “personal misconduct” with two other Members of Parliament.

Sources tell the Star the complainants are female MPs from the New Democratic Party and that the allegations are sexual in nature.

Trudeau gave no details on the allegations that prompted the ouster of his MPs, who will not be allowed to run for the Liberals in the next election while this shadow hangs over them.

Both MPs deny the allegations and have indicated they were a total surprise. Andrews, in a statement issued after his expulsion, said he intended to co-operate with any inquiry — which he hopes is under way “without delay” — and he was “confident that such a process will find that no harassment has occurred.”

Pacetti said in a statement the suspension came without warning and that Trudeau had not given him any details of the allegations. But Pacetti also said he would co-operate with any investigation, “which I am confident will exonerate me.”

The news of the expulsions also plunged Parliament Hill into the ongoing national debate on sexual harassment that was ignited more than a week ago by the firing of CBC host Jian Ghomeshi.

Liberals have asked for a formal probe into the allegations against their former MPs from the Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer, who confirmed on Wednesday that he was “seized with the issue” and “takes the matter very seriously.”

At a news conference, Trudeau said he had a “duty to act” after hearing of the complaints — one of them made directly to him last Tuesday by an MP who told the Liberal leader of the alleged misconduct.

The Liberal leader hinted that the allegations involved workplace harassment but would not confirm the exact nature of the complaints levelled against Andrews and Pacetti.

“Look folks, it’s 2014. It’s time that this workplace, like other workplaces across the country had a process whereby these issues can be aired and dealt with. It is extremely important that we make it very clear that as an institution we will protect and encourage people who come forward with serious allegations of this type,” Trudeau said.

When asked why he wasn’t using the word “harassment,” Trudeau said: “I am not going to speculate or expand on the accusations.” Sources say he was being cautious to avoid words that have legal implications. Nor did Trudeau want to discuss whether the police should be involved in any investigation.

“It’s not up to me to determine who else should be involved,” Trudeau told reporters. “I have referred this to the Speaker of the House of Commons, and I trust that a process will unfold from that.”

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair was being careful as well, saying he was “deeply saddened by these serious allegations.

“Members of Parliament from all parties have to take these matters seriously,” Mulcair said.

“Here on Parliament Hill and in every workplace, women have a right to be in a secure work environment. Everyone who works in these places has a right to be in a secure work environment, free of harassment. We want to make sure that all parties work on these issues, and I think that it’s something that we should do together to show that it is something on which we all agree.”

Andrews was first elected in 2008 in the Newfoundland riding of Avalon and serves as the party’s ethics critic.

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Pacetti, first elected in the Montreal riding of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel in 2002, did not reply to the Star’s attempts to reach him Wednesday. Both MPs are married men with two young children.

Mulcair said he would make no further statements at this time, “to respect the privacy of all concerned.” He took no questions and no NDP members came forward on Wednesday to put their names to the complaints.

The Liberal party whip, Judy Foote, outlined the allegations in a letter to Scheer, in which she says that high-level meetings took place on Oct. 29 and 30 to discuss the allegations.

“To my knowledge, there is no precedent or established process for dealing with a situation such as this. The House of Commons has a process for administration of misconduct in the workplace, but there is no established process for complaints between members,” Foote writes.

She also asks that the Speaker set up such a process, along with the Board of Internal Economy — a committee of MPs who oversee matters related to Commons’ staff, procedure and resources.

Foote said the Liberals did not want to reveal the names of the accusers or the accusations because of concerns about their privacy.

News of the Liberals’ letter to Scheer and the expulsion of the two MPs hit like a bombshell among New Democrats Wednesday morning. That stirred anger in the NDP ranks that the Liberals had not given them the courtesy of a heads-up before going public with the allegations.

“We didn’t know anything about it,” one source told the Star.

Nycole Turmel, the NDP Whip, refused to discuss events leading up to Wednesday’s revelations, confirming only that she got the Liberal letter to Scheer in the morning.

“There will be an investigation. It is in the hands of the Speaker and seems it will go to the (Board of Internal Economy),” Turmel told reporters.

Treasury Board President Tony Clement, who oversees the public service, said he was not immediately certain what the proper process should be for allegations between MPs, or what would be a neutral third party that might investigate.

With files from Bruce Campion-Smith, Alex Boutilier, Tonda MacCharles and Joanna Smith

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