The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement:

“Harassment of any kind is unacceptable and Canadians have a right to live and work in environments free from harassment. As a government we take any allegations of misconduct extremely seriously, and we believe that it is important to support women who come forward with allegations and that is exactly what our government will do. 

“One of the first things we did when we formed government was to put in place rigorous processes to address allegations. This is the same approach that was taken when I became leader of the Liberal Party.  Having a process that can address these allegations while at the same time offering support and a safe space for those who come forward is important and something Canadians expect. 

“Today, I accepted the Honourable Kent Hehr’s resignation from cabinet pending the outcome of the investigation. During his leave of absence, his ministerial duties will be performed by the Honourable Kirsty Duncan who will serve as Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, in addition to being Minister of Science.”