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Morrison spoke to the Star last week about more than a year of issues he says involve Miramichi鈥擥rand Lake MP Jake Stewart, who was first elected federally in 2021. Previously an MLA under New Brunswick鈥檚 PCs, Stewart鈥檚 victory聽鈥� by less than 1,500 votes聽鈥� returned the riding to the federal Conservatives after Justin Trudeau鈥檚 Liberals swept Atlantic Canada in 2015.

Now, Morrison and others are calling on the Conservative Party of Canada to intervene by launching a process to nominate a new candidate in the riding.聽

The Star has viewed internal correspondence spanning the past year between people who had worked for Stewart or were involved with the riding鈥檚 local Conservative organization, and spoke to sources with knowledge of internal matters related to the MP. The Star is not naming several of those involved because they fear reprisals from being identified publicly.

According to sources and emails, text messages and social media posts obtained by the Star, the concerns raised about the MP include him sending texts interpreted as mocking a health condition, threatening employees with termination for not following requests, expecting staffers to be on call at all hours, penning an aggressive Facebook post, and contributing, at times, to a reportedly toxic work environment.

Sources alleged in one example that Stewart was insistent that staffers from his Parliament Hill and constituency offices should simultaneously serve on the board of his riding鈥檚 electoral district association (EDA), a demand sources said came with threats of termination should they fail to comply, despite beliefs that doing so threatens the independence of the board.

MPs typically have offices in Ottawa to assist them with carrying out their parliamentary duties, and in their constituencies to maintain a presence in their communities. Electoral district associations are intended to be independent from those offices: while their purpose within the Conservative party includes raising money for their MP or candidate, they are also meant to support local party members, recruit new members, and provide a forum for discussions.

The Star has viewed emails that show that Stewart terminated two employees over the past year, and that nine people, including the terminated staffers, resigned from the riding association’s board and executive committee during that time.

Sources also said that efforts were made to reach out to both Poilievre鈥檚 office and the Conservative Party of Canada about the ongoing issues, but said that despite limited contact with the party, action has not yet been taken.

鈥淗ere we are with a very important electoral district 鈥� and nobody cares,鈥� Morrison said. 鈥淭here’s something wrong with that picture.鈥�

Stewart聽鈥� who is running again for the Conservatives in the riding聽鈥� did not respond to requests for comment regarding the allegations in this story, which follows earlier reporting from CBC News and the Telegraph-Journal. Poilievre鈥檚 office and the Conservative Party of Canada also did not respond to the Star鈥檚 requests for comment.

In one January email, written by a board member resigning from the riding association’s executive who also previously worked in Stewart鈥檚 constituency office, the former staffer states that Stewart terminated their employment in the MP鈥檚 office on the first day back from a two-month medical leave and noted that Stewart ended their employment without any communication or consideration for their recovery.

The board member also wrote that before their resignation, they remained on the riding association鈥檚 board because they were 鈥渄riven by fear,鈥� including that they would lose their staffing job if they voiced any concerns.

Another board member who left the riding association this year wrote in their resignation email that after providing constructive feedback about a local event about which they had concerns, both Stewart and riding association President Kelly Wilson reacted to their comments with 鈥渟evere hostility,鈥� and also wrote that there was a 鈥渢oxic environment鈥� within the organization.

Wilson did not respond to the Star鈥檚 requests for comment.

The riding association鈥檚 financial agent, Denver Brennan, announced his resignation on Jan. 24, citing 鈥渁 profound distrust in the current board and staff within MP Stewart鈥檚 office.鈥�

In his email, Brennan, yet another riding association executive who had also worked as a constituency staffer for Stewart, said he had 鈥渙bserved a pattern of strong-armed financial decisions made outside of my knowledge as the official financial agent.鈥�

He wrote that the work environment in Stewart鈥檚 office was 鈥渕anipulative鈥� and that he was asked to join the riding association 鈥渁gainst his will,鈥� faced 鈥渢hreats of termination by the MP,鈥� and was meant to be 鈥渙n-call 24/7.鈥�

Brennan wrote that he left Stewart鈥檚 office in 2022, and returned in 2023, and noted an instance in which the MP arrived at his home at 3 a.m. to deal with a 鈥渕alfunctioning鈥� alarm system.

He also said 鈥渃rucial鈥� boundaries meant to maintain 鈥渙rganizational integrity and accountability鈥� between Stewart鈥檚 offices and the riding association were blurred.

(While there are no Conservative party rules explicitly barring staffers or those close to an MP from serving on EDA boards or their executive committees, sources told the Star it is widely understood to avoid doing so, so that issues that potentially involve an MP can be properly aired.)

Then on Jan. 30, Shawn Morrison, Stewart鈥檚 former chief of staff in his parliamentary office and Mike Morrison鈥檚 son, received a cease-and-desist letter from the House of Commons’ legal counsel.

鈥淚t has come to our attention that you have been engaging in unwelcome, malicious and vindictive behaviour regarding Jake Stewart, member of Parliament for Miramichi鈥擥rand Lake, your former employer,鈥� the letter read.

鈥淵ou have communicated directly by phone with Mr. Stewart鈥檚 staff and his spouse, which contact has been unsolicited, unwelcome and offensive. You have reportedly been making public, defamatory remarks about Mr. Stewart, which appear to be motivated by malice.鈥�

The letter appears to have been issued after a social media spat played out between Stewart and Shawn Morrison, a veteran political staffer in New Brunswick and Ottawa, who was terminated by Stewart in May 2024, which also resulted in the former staffer leaving his position on the riding association’s executive.

In January, Stewart shared a now-deleted post on Facebook, referencing an incident that took place the previous spring. While the MP did not name anyone in his post, he appeared to reference a falling out with 鈥渓ifelong friends.鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 suffer fools well, and cowards even less,鈥� Stewart wrote. 鈥淢y address hasn鈥檛 changed. Bring it you cowardly piece of s—-.鈥�

After that post, Shawn Morrison shared a now-deleted Facebook post of his own, which included a number of allegations about an unnamed person鈥檚 personal life.

In a statement to the Star, Shawn Morrison said he would 鈥渉onour the request outlined in the cease-and-desist letter regarding the ongoing personal dispute鈥� between the pair. The letter had warned him to stop 鈥渄efaming鈥� Stewart in public.

鈥淲hile Jake may say he is able to present affidavits alleging various claims against me, I am equally capable of providing affidavits that shed light on his actions over the past year as well,鈥� the statement read.

鈥淭he fundamental difference between us is that he is an elected member of Parliament, and with that role comes a responsibility to uphold the integrity of the office.鈥�

The former chief of staff鈥檚 departure from Stewart鈥檚 office last May sparked a wave of turmoil within the riding association. In the following days and weeks, several people resigned from the board, including his father Mike Morrison.

The Star viewed five emails Mike Morrison sent Poilievre in the months following his son鈥檚 termination about issues with the MP and the riding association.

鈥淵ou have an MP that has gone off the rails,鈥� he wrote in a June email. 鈥淲ould appreciate a call!!!鈥�

Mike Morrison said he had also called Poilievre鈥檚 office several times. Both the number and email address are not direct lines to the Conservative leader, but Mike Morrison聽said he never heard back from any staffers.

He said he鈥檚 also raised issues with top members of the Conservative Party of Canada, including its president, Stephen Barber, and Kevin Price, the New Brunswick representative on the party鈥檚 national council, and requested that the matter be raised with one of Poilievre鈥檚 top advisers, Jenni Byrne. The Star viewed an email that showed Barber deferring the issue to Price, who Mike Morrison said has communicated about the matter but has not yet materially addressed it. The resignation emails the Star has viewed also show party officials were copied on the messages.

The Star has also seen an email from Steve Kent, who leads the party鈥檚 political operations in Atlantic Canada, informing concerned board members in May that they could not hold an emergency meeting following Shawn Morrison鈥檚 departure, because it was deemed 鈥渁 confidential human resources matter鈥� that was not appropriate for the riding association’s board to discuss.

By the end of 2024, the situation had worsened for Mike Morrison, who suffered a fall that caused a stroke just before Christmas.

The 79-year-old said he hadn鈥檛 communicated with Stewart for several months before the incident, but that the MP reached out in January of this year over text to talk politics and send holiday photos.

Then, in texts viewed by the Star, Stewart sent Mike a number of YouTube videos of songs by the band The Strokes.

鈥淕reat band聽鈥� the STROKEs,鈥� Stewart wrote.

鈥淗e was making fun of me about having a stroke, because that’s what he was like,鈥� Mike Morrison said, of his interpretation of the messages.

“I want to see the national party step in, disband the board, allow a new (annual general meeting), and allow a new board to go forward to hold a nomination competition to select a new candidate,” Mike Morrison added.

“Jake Stewart is not worth the job.”