TRUDEAU KEEPING QUIET ON NEWLY SURFACED CLAIM AGAINST ONTARIO MP
Tabbara faced earlier allegation of sexual harassment
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wouldn’t address new allegations that a member of Parliament facing serious criminal charges was previously allowed to seek re-election as a Liberal despite a sexual harassment allegation.
Marwan Tabbara, who represents the Ontario riding of Kitchener South-hespeler, left the Liberal caucus this month after it was revealed he was charged in April with criminal harassment of a woman, break-and-enter, and assault against the same woman and a man.
Neither Tabbara nor the Guelph Police Service, who laid the charges, said anything about it at the time. Trudeau earlier said he did not know of the charges until the day of the media reports.
On Friday, Trudeau did not deny new allegations reported by CBC that the Liberal party knew of an earlier, unrelated allegation of sexual harassment made against Tabbara.
Tabbara, 35, was approved to seek re-election as a Liberal in 2019 despite the party’s internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate touching and unwelcome sexual comments involving a female staff member during his initial 2015 election campaign, CBC reported, attributing the information to anonymous party sources.
The Liberal probe substantiated some of the allegations but whether Tabbara faced any consequences is not known, according to the report.
Trudeau said he wouldn’t discuss specific cases to respect the confidentiality of the process.
“Part of that process, and this is the part that is always frustrating for media and for many people watching, is that confidentiality is an integral part of that process to protect the people coming forward.
“I will also need to respect the confidentiality of everyone involved in this case, and cannot comment further. Other than to emphasize, as I always have, that we take every single case extremely seriously.”
Trudeau said it is “disappointing” that a sitting MP can be criminally charged without anyone knowing. National Post reported last week that a Parliamentary rule on this is not being followed.
“In regards to the police proceedings, we’ve all reflected on the fact that there is apparently a rule in the House of Commons standing orders that if a member of Parliament is arrested, the Speaker or the House needs to be officially informed. That rule has apparently not been followed or applied much over the past years,” Trudeau said.
“There’s perhaps a reflection that that is something that we can
I’LL LET THE POLICE AND THE PROSECUTORS IN THIS CASE SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
look into.
“It is certainly disappointing as a party leader that the individual in question never chose to inform the party in which he was a part of these charges, and I’ll let the police and the prosecutors in this case speak for themselves.”
When it comes to the police, at least, they are saying almost nothing. As for the prosecution, Tabbara had a brief hearing Friday morning prior to Trudeau’s remarks.
Tabbara was charged with two counts of assault, one count of break and enter and commit an indictable offence, and one count of criminal harassment on April 10.
Tabbara’s court date Friday in the Ontario Court of Justice in Guelph, the city where he was arrested near his riding, was held by teleconference because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Tabbara was apparently not on the phone line, nor did he need a lawyer.
Tabbara’s name and case file number were simply included with other criminally charged accused whose cases were postponed to Aug. 28, in keeping with the court’s handling of out-ofcustody criminal matters during COVID-19 restrictions.
According to a police document obtained by the Post, Tabbara is accused of watching a home in Guelph starting Jan. 1 and ending April 9, in a manner that made the female occupant fear for her safety. That led to the criminal harassment charge.
It is the same home he is accused of breaking into on April 9 and where he allegedly assaulted a woman and a man.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
The charges were not revealed at the time by Tabbara or Guelph Police Service and did not become public until June 6.
After the charges were publicly known, Tabbara announced he was “stepping back from the Liberal caucus” — but not resigning as an MP — and seeking treatment for anxiety and depression.
Tabbara has continued to regularly post on his political Facebook page on matters other than his criminal charges.
On Wednesday he noted National Public Service Week and on Thursday he promoted Sunday’s National Indigenous Peoples Day.