The disgraced Manitoba MP Cliff Graydon says he's not a sexual stalker, he paid a high price for his comments

Cliff Graydon, MP for Emerson in the Progressive Conservative Caucus of Manitoba, said he was not a badual stalker, although he admitted to having made inappropriate comments towards female members of the legislative staff.

"I admit that I'm guilty of having a bad sense of humor," Graydon said Thursday morning.

PC MP, a former MP, now an independent MP, made his first public comments to the media at Thursday's news conference since he left the Conservative caucus two weeks ago for his behavior.

He apologized for his conduct and pledged to fulfill the mandate of his mandate as a Conservative MP on a financial level.

At first, Graydon, 72, stressed "as firmly as possible" that he is not a badual stalker and that he has never been accused of this.

"People who know me best can check that I have never been charged with anything that looks like badual harbadment in my past, my wife, 45, and my children do not deserve To hear these press statements regarding their husband and father. "

Changing times

After interviewing reporters, he acknowledged, however, that his remarks would be perceived as harbading by today's standards.

"I grew up in another era," said Graydon.

"I realize that some people today are much more sensitive to inappropriate behavior and that in the future, I will make sure I am more aware of my comments."

Cliff Graydon says that he's not a badual stalker:

Last month, CBC announced the news that Graydon was accused of having asked a female member of the legislative staff to sit on his lap at a recent meeting. A second staff member then went to CBC / Radio-Canada with a similar allegation.

According to an article in the Winnipeg Free Press, he had also suggested to another woman that he lick some food.

There could be a lot [accusers] in my past. I have no idea, with my sense of humor. – Emerson MP Cliff Graydon

"My jokes that I regret now were just meant to be humorous, and I can badure those offended that they were not meant to be humiliating or harmful to anyone," he said.

"I apologized and paid a very high price for my comments."

Graydon tried to make it clear that he was not asking a woman to sit on his lap but instead was proposing his knee or chair.

He has no memory of having asked a female staff member to lick him, he said.

When asked if other women could lay charges, Graydon could not say.

"There could be a lot in my past, I have no idea of ​​my sense of humor," he said.

Repeated offenses

The Progressive Conservative caucus voted in favor of Graydon's dismissal last month after what President Wayne Ewasko called "inappropriate behavior."

Graydon initially stated that the incident had been treated to the satisfaction of all parties, but a few days later he had gone on sick leave, adding that he would not stand in for 2020.

He has represented Emerson's constituency since 2007.

The member does not understand the seriousness: the accuser

The former member of the legislative staff, who said Graydon had asked him to sit on his lap in 2013, said the remarks made by the MP on Thursday show that he does not understand the seriousness of badual harbadment.

"It's not a simple case of having different senses of humor or misunderstandings based on generational differences, it's something more targeted and more harmful." C & # 39; is badual harbadment, "wrote this woman, whom CBC has agreed not to identify.

"His response today shows that he does not want to take to heart the other points of view and accept responsibility for his actions."

At the press conference, Graydon said that he was disappointed to be fired from the Conservative caucus, but that he would not criticize their decision.

He stated that his relatives had been harbaded by the media, that he had asked to stop, and thanked his family, friends and constituents for offering him unconditional support in this difficult time.

Graydon promised not to be ruled out of his legislative program as an independent because he would be speaking out on issues important to him, such as school taxes on farmland and concerns related to it. 39; agriculture.

He will not join a pre-existing political party or create a new one, he said.

"Everyone who knows Cliff Graydon knows that I am not a quitter and that I will continue to serve my entire mandate," he said.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Brian Pallister told the media that in his opinion, Graydon had "reacted sensibly" after the revelation of the charges.

Pallister testified that he first became aware of Graydon's inappropriate comments in early 2018 and that his government took immediate action.

Past controversy

The recent controversy is not the first for Graydon, who had to deal with problems last winter when he used social media to call asylum seekers crossing the border "a drain on society" .

He also retweeted messages from other people who treated Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as traitor, bastard and disgrace.

Graydon is excused, removed the tweets and agreed to withdraw from social media and take awareness training, the details of which have never been made public.

He said Thursday that he continued to undergo training, but that he would not disclose the nature of it.

With records from Kristin Annable, The Canadian Press