Dark days for provincial NDP

Christmas came a bit early for the Progressive Conservative government.

Tories have their feet propped on desks all over the building from the policy wonksin the bowels of the Legislature to the comforts of the ministers' offices and are warming their hands from the glow of the tire fire that is the New Democratic Party.

Timing, it is said, is everything. Ask Kevin Chief.

• Kevin Chief's resignation met with good wishes and 'profound sadness'

No matter the damage caused by the resignation of the popular Point Douglas MLA, it was lost in the flames of a scandal involving another caucus member. Allegations and an apparently completed investigation into claims of verbal sexual harassment by Maples MLA MohinderSaran effectively killed any chance the New Democrats had to say farewell to Chief in any dignified way.

Indeed, several requests from CBC News for an interview with anyonefrom the party to celebrate Chief and his departure were turned down perhaps due to worries the questions would shift fromChief toSaran.

The four-paragraph press release devoted one line to Chief's contribution to the party.

"He is a valued colleague and member of our NDP team. We will miss his experience, his wisdom, his guidance and his friendship," the statement said.

A day and half after thatshower of praise, CBC News caught up to Fort Rouge MLA Wab Kinewat an event to launch BernadetteSmith's campaign ... to replace Chief. Kinewmade up for some of the silence on Chief's departure, calling him a champion for the North End, a role model to young Indigenous kids and a man that succeeded despite facingall kinds of adversity along the way.

• Bernadette Smith aiming to replace Kevin Chief in Point Douglas

Chief was one of the party's brightest stars, not to mention often considered a potential leader. The handling of his departure was odd to say the least and undignified at best.

But how the NDP are stewarding accusations against Saran bears more scrutiny.

• NDP MLA Mohinder Saran suspended after sexual harassment allegation

The party flat-out refused to name Saran, obliging media outletsto use sources to identify himas the MLA in question. Yet the provincial human resources has already investigated.The NDP'sstatement says "the branch completed its investigation and is working with all parties to resolve all outstanding issues."

So someone somewhere has looked at this and concluded something.

No one in caucus is talking.A terse "no comment" was the reply from MLAsreached by CBC News. Questions to provincial party executives are deferred back to caucus communications, which has thrown a blanket over any further discussion about Saran.

"Due to confidentiality issues and to protect the identity of the complainant, there will be no further comment," the NDP statement read.

If there is any truth to the allegations made by the "complainant," then he or she is actually a "victim" of sexual harassment something to remember when calculating political fallout.

It isn't easy being NDP

Political scientist and author Chris Adams is looking back much further than the bookends of Chief resigning and allegations against Saran.

"This has been a pretty dark week for the NDP, I'd say. And, you know, I think people have said for many months, and I think you could say for two years it's been a dark time for the NDP," Adams said.

Indeed, the wounds opened bythe ministerial revolt againstPremier Greg Selingerhave not healed. There are deep divisions and no sense of where the party will go from here.

Adams rattledoff strikes against the Official Opposition, noting the ineffectiveness ofinterim leaderFlorMarcelinoand stumbles during Question Period where some of the party's key critics were caught making tasteless, sexist jabs at members of the government.

• 'We crossed a line': Accused of intimidating women, Manitoba NDP MLAs apologize

Still, Adams sees an early entry (Bernadette Smith)into the sweepstakes to replace Chief as a possible distraction for the party.

"I think it changes the conversation a bit. To quickly get a new candidate in there, running, so people aren't thinking about the loss of Kevin Chief, they are starting to work toward the next by-election," Adams said.

It's changed the conversation for the Manitoba Liberals. Interim leader Judy Klassen says they are already putting a team together and think they have a shot in Point Douglas.

But no amount of by-election intrigue will make questions about Mohinder Saran's behaviour go away, unless he is found completely guiltless.

The New Democrats have two big dates looming on their calendars: apolicy meetingin the spring and a leadership convention in the fall. If no one in the NDP breaks out the fire extinguisher and begins to rebuild,the PC government will continue to warm themselves by the glow of the political fire on the other side of the house.