'All the sordid details': PR gurus advise PCs to tell full story about Jamie Baillie

Some Halifax communications experts praised the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservatives for dealing swiftly with a complaintof sexual harassment against the party'sformer leader and MLA Jamie Baillie.

But universityprofessors Barbara Emodi and Michelle Coffin and public relations practitioner Chris Lydonsaid the party didn't go far enough in divulging what actually happened in the events that led up to the complaint and Baillie's subsequent exit from the party and politics. They were participatingin CBC Mainstreet'sSpinbusterssegment, whichaired Thursday.

"This is not going to be overcome until everything is out, every question is answered," said Lydon,regional senior vice-president at m5 Public Affairs.

'Every possible detail'

He urged the Conservatives to come clean about the scandal.

"Be completely transparent on what process the party followed.Be completely transparent on the final report, including all of the sordid details thetime, severity, were there other allegations, every possible detail that could come out with perhapsthe exception of the accuser's name."

Lydon saidhe is friends with both the accuser and Baillieand said it's "just a heartbreaking thing to have to see so close."

Barbara Emodi, who teaches communications at Mount Saint Vincent University, predicts there will be more women speaking out about sexual harassment, which she saidhas been rife in Nova Scotia politics.

"I think we should all brace ourselves for a domino effect because it's going to happen," said Emodi, who was also a staffer with the provincial New Democratic Party.

'Rumours are always worse'

She said the PC caucus officehandled the complaint in a responsible way but "the communication has not been very good." Emodi comparedBaillie's exit with that of Ontario Conservative Party Leader Patrick Brown, who resigned early Thursdayin the wake of allegations of sexual impropriety.

"He had his story, he told it himself and he told it immediately."

She said Baillieshould do the same.

"If you've behaved improperly apologize and take full responsibility. Or like Brown, if you feel you did not do anything improper, then you come out and do that," she said.

"To say, 'Leave me alone,'that's not an optionbecause that adds legs to the story. For the sake of his own reputation, he needs to be open about itbecause the rumours are always worse."

"There's no protecting Baillie or his family," Lydonsaid. "It's done. Why let this be a three-weekor a month-long story?"

PC reaction shows 'progress'

Coffin, who teaches political science at Saint Mary's University, compared the Conservatives'responsewith her experience with the Liberal government when one ofPremier Stephen McNeil'scampaign officials was charged with assaulting her. Kyley Harris pleaded guilty and was given a conditional discharge in 2015.

"In my case, the Liberals were very tone deaf.They continue to be very tone deaf, dealing with my experience. In fact, they sided with the individual that assaulted me," she said.

"The PCs took a very different approach, a couple of years after my experience. The PCs are protecting the [complainant] involved. They removed Jamie from his role and they went public to try to manage the situation. So from my vantage point, that's progress."