OTTAWA — The Senate has agreed with recommendations from an independent evaluator that the victims of disgraced ex-senator Don Meredith should be compensated.
The Senate standing committee on internal economy met behind closed doors today to consider a recent report by former Quebec appeals court judge Louise Otis.
She was brought in to recommend potential compensation for former employees of Meredith who had experienced workplace and sexual harassment by him.
That was part of the response to a four-year investigation by the Senate ethics officer, who concluded last year that Meredith had repeatedly bullied, threatened and intimidated his staff, and that he had also touched, kissed and propositioned some of them.
The committee says Otis recommended compensation levels in line with the amounts awarded in three major recent class-action lawsuit settlements involving harassment in the public sector.
The committee says the Senate law clerk and parliamentary counsel will reach out to employees who took part in the process.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2020.
The Canadian Press
