Deputy Liberal Leader Diana Whalen has not and will not ask her constituency assistant if he was the one who somehow sent out an anonymous email to party members criticizing leader Stephen McNeil.
Some in the Liberal party have made no secret that they believe Whalen’s assistant Doug Boudreau is the one who “breached” security and acquired a supposedly secret list of party members. Boudreau has refused to comment.
Whalen has heard the accusations but said it’s not her job to investigate.
“I sincerely believe it’s a party issue, that if there’s been a breach of any sort that deals with party lists or party issues or party whatever, then it should go to them,” she told reporters on Thursday.
She added, “It is not my job to be the person who brings messages back and forth. The party structure can do their own work, is what I’m saying.”
The previous day, Whalen referred to the party’s investigation, which included hiring lawyer Michelle Awad, as a “witch hunt.”
McNeil disagreed, saying the problem is not the content of the email, but the party needing to prove it can be trusted with personal information.
He confirmed he had asked Whalen whether she had spoken to her assistant about the email. Whalen told him she had not.
The two sit next to each other in the legislature and were seen chatting during question period. McNeil has the power to decide who is deputy leader.
No legal action
The Liberals will not pursue legal action in regards to the anonymous internal email to party members bashing leader Stephen McNeil.
In a last-minute announcement just before midnight on Thursday, party president Derek Wells said it was unlikely the party could prove an offence had taken place, making it difficult to obtain a court order to expose the sender.
Wells said the party is taking steps to tighten controls on the use of membership lists.
– Alex Boutilier for Metro Halifax
