Conservative Party spokeswoman Sarah Fischer confirmed Alex Corelli was suspended over alleged breaches of the council’s code of conduct.Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press
The Conservative Party’s governing council suspended one of its members after a complaint about his treatment of a young volunteer.
A majority of the party’s national council voted at a meeting on Saturday to suspend Alex Corelli to allow for further investigation, two sources told The Globe and Mail.
The Globe is not naming the sources as they are prohibited from publicly discussing council decisions.
Mr. Corelli is one of the representatives for Ontario on the council, which oversees the party’s operations. He also serves as the vice-chair of party outreach.
Party spokeswoman Sarah Fischer confirmed the suspension but did not provide any details.
“Mr. Corelli has been suspended from National Council pending further investigation into alleged breaches of the National Council Code of Conduct,” she said in an e-mail.
The sources said the suspension is directly connected to a formal complaint lodged with the party earlier this fall on behalf of an 18-year-old woman who had been working to expand the Conservatives’ reach among postsecondary students in the Toronto area.
Her interactions with Mr. Corelli came to light after she recorded her final call with him, and that recording was then shared with other party members, one of whom decided to file a formal complaint.
A copy of the recording was sent to the party as part of the complaint. A copy was also obtained by The Globe. Mr. Corelli has not disputed it was him on the recording, the two sources said.
In it, Mr. Corelli is heard telling the woman she is acting “outside of the chain of command” and her efforts aren’t helpful to the party – or her political future.
“And if, personally, you do want to get involved in the party, I do have to tell you as someone – so I’m the national councillor from Ontario, I’m responsible for campus clubs on national council – this is not a helpful thing that you are doing, so I wanted to make that aware,” he said.
When reached by phone Monday and asked about his suspension, Mr. Corelli said, “I can’t talk right now.”
He declined to confirm his suspension, acknowledged receiving an earlier written request for comment from The Globe, said he would reply, and then hung up.
As of 8 p.m. Monday, The Globe had not received a reply.
Councillors are elected for two-year terms. Mr. Corelli is up for re-election at the party’s convention in January.
The national council’s code of conduct explicitly references the treatment of volunteers.
“The strength of our party is that of the countless volunteers donating their time and talents from coast to coast to coast,” it says.
“At all times, each and every volunteer must be treated with respect and dignity by the councillors of the party.”