, 07.05.2018 04:17 PM

If it wasn’t “inappropriate,” why apologize?

Because it was inappropriate.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave his most detailed response yet Thursday to an 18-year-old allegation he groped a female reporter, confirming he had apologized to the woman at the time but saying he didn’t feel he had acted “in any way untoward.”

Facing reporters at Queen’s Park after his first meeting with new Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Trudeau offered a more elaborate reflection on the allegation for the first time since it resurfaced in the past months.

“I’ve been reflecting very carefully on what I remember from that incident almost 20 years ago,” he said. “I do not feel that I acted inappropriately in any way. But I respect the fact that someone else might have experienced that differently.”

Justin Trudeau at the second annual Kokanee Summit in Creston, B.C., on Aug. 6, 2000. Handout

The groping allegation was the subject of a short editorial in an August, 2000 edition of the Creston Valley Advance, a small-town newspaper in Creston, B.C.

That August Trudeau attended the Kokanee Summit festival, an event held by a local brewery, to accept a donation of $18,500 towards his family’s campaign to build a new public backcountry cabin in the nearby provincial park in memory of his brother Michel, who died there in 1998 after an avalanche swept him into a lake while skiing. An editorial the Advance published after the festival accused Trudeau, then still years away from a career in politics, of the “inappropriate handling” and “groping” of a young female reporter for the paper who had covered the festival. It also described his apology to her the following day.

34 Comments

  1. Matt says:

    Very dangerous game he’s playing.

    His “no negative interactions” comment pushed at least two women to come forward to John Lancaster at CBC Toronto whos bosses were allegedly ordered by CBC brass to kill the story and another has now come forward to the National Post to detail what Trudeau did to her.

    His comments today just made things much worse for him.

    • Canada Joe says:

      Oh do please go on…..

    • Luke says:

      Matt, you appear to have abundant inside knowledge that us plebes outside of Ottawa or regular political involvement do not have (per this comment and others). I find it difficult at times to participate on this forum because I am at the mercy of news media, my own limited-capacity brain, and word of mouth from you and others.

      I tend to believe that you aren’t full of shit. But can you give me some indication as to how you know the things you say you know? I imagine you would have to tread lightly in any response, so be as general as you wish, but I would love some idea as to where your inside knowledge originates.

      Thanks,
      L

    • Gord says:

      The CBC trying to run interference for the Liberal Party of Canada? Say it ain’t so!

  2. Lance says:

    “If I had known you were reporting for a national paper, I never would have been so forward.”

    And if he apologized, why does it only apply if she were someone of “consequence”?

    The very FIRST thing that came into his mind was the damage it could do to his public face. “Feminist”, my ass.

  3. Luke says:

    These comments appear to contradict the no ‘negative interactions’ blurb. If he hadn’t recalled any the other day, why does he now remember enough to recall apologizing?

  4. Sam says:

    To be fair, he really does not think he did anything wrong. He believes it, sincerely so.

    I’ve known a couple of silver spooned rich entitled guys, who also thought they were gods gift to women.

    This is just how they think, period.

  5. Sean says:

    When JT booted Andrews and Pacetti from caucus a few years ago, most people agreed it was a positive step towards ending the toxic “he said / she said” dynamic of these situations. I saw something completely different – a young man willing to gloss over extremely serious complexities in favor of saying something popular at the moment.

    At first I thought this 18 year old allegation was going no where, but coupled with the other stuff apparently about to explode, it looks like a huge mess that could end him.

    Re. the CBC story which some have mentioned on this site… If there is a deliberate move at CBC to can this, THAT is a scandal in itself. As Warren tells us, its often the cover up, not the break in.

  6. Sean says:

    Experienced “THAT “differently? Seems he does remember and he seems to be suggesting that, based upon his experience, his “randy “behaviour had never been a problem with anyone else.

  7. Robert White says:

    I fully support the reporting you have elucidated here, Warren, and I cannot believe some of the things people say to you in an adversarial manner, frankly. Moreover, when I compare your skill set to Trudeau’s I, for one, can clearly see the difference with respect to being a mature contemplative.

    Trudeau will never catch up to you, Warren. He is not a lawyer, and he actually has little experience if we are to look at this in a relativistic manner compared to the experience you have to date.

    RW

  8. Canada Joe says:

    So sexual assault by a self-proclaimed moral paragon doesn’t bother you?

  9. Steve T says:

    I know this comment will not be popular in some circles, but here it goes anyway:

    Allegations of this type have become the new McCarthyism. Accusations hold as much weight as actual evidence. That should scare us, as a society.

    Our justice system, and hopefully our general frame of mind, is innocent until proven guilty. That is especially true in the context of sexual misconduct, where lower-level interactions (ie – verbal, or incidental physical contact) can be misconstrued by both parties.

    It is also worth noting that it is very dangerous to make an apology equivalent to an admission of guilt. It seems that partial apologies (“I’m sorry my incidental contact bothered you – I didn’t mean anything by it”) are seen as slimy and trying to dodge guilt. What if you really did it by accident, but the other person perceived it as intentional? Why should their version automatically be seen as gospel?

    • Don Johnson says:

      QUOTE: “I’m sorry my incidental contact bothered you – I didn’t mean anything by it”

      Where did JT say this? To whom? Are you putting words in his mouth?

      • Steve T says:

        It wasn’t meant to be a JT quote. It is something others have said when faced with accusations, and which has met with the scornful responses that I mentioned.

        • Don Johnson says:

          Perhaps I misunderstood you. When you said, “Allegations of this type have become the new McCarthyism.” I took your later quote to be a kind of paraphrase of what he was saying. I am still not entirely clear on what you are saying though!

  10. Matt says:

    Your other thread had some advice for Trudeau.

    Would you have advised him it was a good idea, with that joke of a performance he put on today to follow it up with a “candid” shirtless jog in downtown Toronto?

    Candid, with his security detail and a 10 car motorcade with flashing lights following him.

    • Walter says:

      That’s all he knows.

      It may be part of a plan that he’s so darned handsome that it must have been the reporter that initiated it.

  11. Matt says:

    Oh, he’s had counseling.

    A couple times.

    Didn’t work.

  12. Leif says:

    He’d tell them to eat shit on the way out to dinner with Margot Kidder or Liona Boyd.

  13. Sam says:

    Johnny M has a point, Pierre would have done that. But Junior didn’t, and that ship has sailed. He’s thinking the same shallow virtue signaling that got him to where he is will get him out of this jam he finds himself in.

    It won’t.

    If it were me, I’d have said “yeah I did a lot of stupid shit when I was young that I’m not proud of, and hurt a few people along the way I shouldn’t have, like most of us have – now let’s move on because there’s nothing I can do about it now..”

    However, if it were me, I’d also be referring to my 18 year old self, NOT my 28 year old self.

    When I was 28 I had long left the stupid irresponsible shit behind, started a family and had my own company. And I’m not that much older than Trudeau.

    Steve T has a better point, but that’s where we are now.

    • Matt says:

      Except more women are now, because of Trudeau’s arrogance in responses over the last week, going to media with their stories of their experiences with Trudeau much more recently.

      I could mention an incident at the U of T a few years ago where the police needed to be called to control Sophie. Or a 2011 incident with a young political staffer. But I won’t.

  14. Gyor says:

    If it’s human hunting, it’s a hunt he did to his own MPs along with Christine Moore, so I have no sympathy for either of them being held to the same standard they held others too. Live by the sword, die by the sword, as the saying goes.

    Trudeau has backed #Metoo, now he’s its latest victim, its Karma.

  15. Lou says:

    Surprise!! CBC just cemented their reputation as the propaganda wing of the Liberal party. We now know what the “extra funding” bought. When you consider the “lessons” they should have learned during the Ghomeshi incident, this is even more inexcusable. Heads should roll and the funding should stop until the culture is changed tp reflect service to ALL Canadians, not just liberals.

  16. Sam says:

    So Warren, what do you think your chances are on the outside chance should you consider running for LPC in 2019 now? 😉

  17. Pete says:

    I don’t think there is a man out there, that hasn’t been an asshole at one time or another. Any male (both gay and straight) who denies ever being pissed up and making a pass at someone — is lying through their teeth. Here is the real issue with this story…only the media and the right are interested seeing this taint Trudeau. It’s identity politcs. Often one wonders when a woman goes public about being groped or such, the first reason given is: I just want an apology. My question is always, “Well, did you ask for one and were ignored? Is that why you went public? Justice? ” More often than not it is revenge not justice. Trudeau did something that was wrong. The woman let him know how she felt. He apologized. She doesn’t want to talk about something that happened 20 years ago but Trudeau is forced to defend himself for doing the right thing? There must be an election coming and Stephen Harper wants back in…Peter McKay once called his ex-fiance a “dog” — and nobody cared.

    • Matt says:

      Doing the right thing would be Trudeau taking responsibility for his actions.

      He hasn’t.

      And Rose made her statement today.

      The incident DID HAPPEN just as she said 18 years ago.

  18. Gilbert says:

    He should just apologize and admit he behaved inappropriately.

  19. Eyeame says:

    It’s certainly to late now. He made the Collin Thatcher mistake “Deny, Deny, Deny” until you backed into a corner, then take your lumps. He now in the corner. Unfortunately theres something besides his rock star, celebrity looks that people love. He COULD shoot someone on 5th Avenue & get away with it. I think these something so slimey & plastic about him. Hes dangerous for Canada & needs to go.

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