PC MHA under fire for critical comments about daughter of former Come By Chance mayor

A Newfoundland and Labrador politician is fielding criticism after reportedly calling a former town councillor's daughter "childish" for tweeting about the ongoing politicaldrama in theirsmall Newfoundland outport.

PCMHAJeff Dwyerhas come under fire for those comments, which he's alleged to havemade this week during a phone callto the home of former Come By Chance acting mayor Kathy Paul.

The newest chapter in the saga comes at the height of a wave of controversy in the small town one that's playing out over social media, in public, in council chambers and in the courts.

Kathy Paul's husband, Andre Paul, said Dwyer called theiradult daughter, Jasmine Paul,"childish" and said her candid tone on Twitter "needs to stop," comments that are being described by Andre Paul as sexist.

"I was blown away," Andre Paul told CBC News on Friday.

Dwyer, who represents the district of Placentia West-Bellevue,did not respond to interview requests. But in a statement attributed to him, and issued by the PC Party's communications team, Dwyer said, "It's clear the Paul family is upset regarding our phone call and for that I offer my sincere apologies."

Kathy and Andre Paulrefused to do a recorded interview Friday but Andre accused Dwyer of being a bully, and said his comments devalued his daughter because of her gender.

"Why didn't he call Jasmine himself?" Andre asked.

A tense public meeting

Andre Paul saidDwyer called theirhome just before noon on Wednesday, the day after Kathy Paul abruptly resigned as acting mayor, leaving the town of just over 200 citizens in Placentia Bay without any elected representation on the seven-seat town council.

Andre Paul said Dwyer asked to speak with Kathy, but she was not available, so Andre said he engaged in a conversation with the MHA.

"[Dwyer]said he just wanted to say that he supported Kathy at that town hall meeting," Andre wrote.

Andre Paul was referring to a tense public meeting at the Come By Chance Lions Club late last week, which took place in the wake of a Feb. 3 council meeting during which four elected members were dismissed for an alleged breach of conflict of interest rules.

Kathy Paul presented the report that resulted in the removal of her four colleagues. She came under intense criticism at the public meeting later in the week, and said she was booed andshouted at by citizens when she tried to speak.

Dwyer was also present at the meeting, and sat with former mayor Keith Best, one of the four members ejected from council, said Kathy Paul.

Wednesday's phone call, meanwhile, took an unexpected turn, said Andre,when Dwyer started talking about his daughter.

Jasmine Paul, 33, is active on Twitter, and has been posting candid messages about the ongoing controversy in Come By Chance.

But Andre Paul said he was not expecting his representative in the provinciallegislature to criticize his daughter's social media activity.

Here's the worst part.He continued to talk and stated, 'Your daughter's social media is not right and needs to stop.'- Andre Paul

"Here's the worst part," Andre Paul wrote."He continued to talk and stated, 'your daughter's social media is not right and needs to stop.'"

Andre Paul said the MHA also described his daughter as "childish."

"I was shocked by those words coming from our MHA," Andre Paul wrote in an email to CBC on Thursday. "I said a few words back to him and then said I think I will end this conversationnow."

Jeff Dwyer accused of harassment, intimidation

Andre Paulhas filed written complaintsabout the encounter with Dwyer with the Commissioner for Legislative Standards, which administers the House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and Administration Act, andthe PC Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.

• Come By Chance rudderless after council implodes over conflict of interest controversy

Andre Paul described Dwyer's comments as "harassment, intimidation and definitely degrading[to]my family."

In her Twitter bio, Jasmine Paul describes herself as an "artist, writer, academic, and apprentice fish harvester with a political inclination."

She tweets aboutliterature, the environment, sports and video games, herdog and how her experiencebeing bullied in high school influenced her fashion choices.

But with her mother one of the figures in an ongoing uproar in the community, Jasmine'shad a front-row seat to the turmoil in Come By Chance in recent months, and she's been expressing her opinions on Twitter.

Following last week's public meeting, for example, she tweeted,"My mom put so much work into town council and followed legislation and direction from Municipal Affairs to the very best of her ability and received no support from this town or the MHA for her efforts. I will never forget who attended that meetingand how they treated us."

Jasmine Paul declined an interview, but her opinion of Dwyer's phone call to her parents is there for all to see, on Twitter.

"Do MHAs usually go about calling the mothers of 33-year-olds?" she wrote Wednesday.

In another tweet, she wrote thatDwyer's attempt to "divide our family by intimidating my father into attempting to control me is f--ked up."

'He chose to sit there'

Kathy Paul also took a swipe at Dwyer on social media, tweeting on Sunday that she's disappointed with her MHA.

"He had the opportunity to show real leadership. He chose to sit there," she wrote, referring to the events of the Feb. 10 public meetings.

I intend to learn from this moment and take those lessons forward in my work to represent this great district.- Jeff Dwyer

Andre Paul described his daughter as independent and intelligent, and said her tweets were not threatening or offensive.

"Forhim to say she has to stop expressing her own opinions basically is ridiculous in this day and age," Andre Paul wrote.

In his statement Thursday evening, Dwyer said he has not received any correspondence from any officers of the House of Assembly, and as such, he's "unable to comment on any specific allegations."

But Dwyer said he plansto "work with the family to resolve this situation" and willco-operate fully with any investigation into the complaint.

"I intend to learn from this moment and take those lessons forward in my work to represent this great district," Dwyer wrote.

As of late morning on Friday, Dwyer had not reached out to anyone in the Paul family, said Andre Paul.

The contentious phone call is the latest incident in what's been a tumultuous few years for Come By Chance.

Without anyone left on the town council, the provincial government is now considering installing an interim administrator for the town to ensure the bills keep getting paid.

Meanwhile, the case againstJennifer Benson, a former Come By Chance town manager, continues to make its way through the court system.

Benson is accused of stealing more than $250,000 from the town over a 2-year period up to mid-2018.

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