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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, alongside Liberal MPs (left to right) Marwan Tabbara, Bardish Chagger and Raj Saini meet with the mayors of the Waterloo region on April 17, 2019. Saini faces four allegations of unwanted sexual advances or inappropriate comments, but Trudeau is showing support for his Liberal candidate.
Christopher Katsarov / The Canadian Press
Justin Trudeau backs a Liberal candidate facing allegations of inappropriate behavior towards women.
The Liberal leader was asked by a reporter on Tuesday about Raj Saini, a two-term MP seeking re-election in the riding of Kitchener Center in southwestern Ontario. CBC News reported that concerns were raised with Mr. Trudeau’s office dating back to 2015 about Mr. Sainis’ behavior towards young female employees, which included four allegations of unwanted sexual advances or inappropriate comments. The Globe and Mail has not independently verified the allegations.
Mr Saini said in a statement that he had never acted inappropriately towards staff or voters. He said he was only made aware of one allegation and the person chose not to initiate a formal or informal complaint process.
Upon learning of this, I insisted that an independent third party examine my office through the House of Commons. The result of that review, which ended in June 2020, revealed that nothing had happened regarding concerns of harassment in the office, Saini said. Protecting my staff and ensuring that they are respected is not something I take lightly. As you can understand, I cannot discuss the details regarding this matter, in order to protect the privacy of everyone involved.
His campaign also issued a statement of support from anonymous members of his team. A spokesperson for the House of Commons said such a third-party review process would remain confidential.
During a campaign stop in Kanata, a suburb of Ottawa, Trudeau said everyone deserves a safe workplace. He said that is why his government has adopted tougher measures for harassment complaints in the public service and in Parliament to show leadership that ensures people have the right [to], and experience, safe working environments.
Mr. Trudeau said Mr. Saini shared details of all the processes that have been undertaken in his office to address any concerns or issues raised.
We know it’s extremely important to take any allegation seriously, which we certainly have and always will, because everyone deserves a safe workplace, Trudeau said.
CBC News reported that the complaints against Mr Saini date back to the Liberals’ Christmas party in December 2015. The outlet said four female staff members reported to a senior Liberal official as Mr Saini, as well as the former Liberal MP Marwan Tabbara, reportedly acted inappropriately. In June 2020, Mr. Tabbara resigned from the Liberal caucus after being charged with assault, break and enter and harassment.
A liberal source who was at the 2015 Christmas party told The Globe that several staff members reported that Mr Saini and Mr Tabbara were acting inappropriately and were likely to be sensitive to young women. The source said a senior Liberal official raised concerns with Mr Trudeau’s chief of staff Katie Telford, but Ms Telford later said there was nothing more to investigate.
The Globe does not identify the source because they were not authorized to disclose the internal affairs of the government.
When asked about Ms Telford’s involvement, Alex Lawrence, a spokesperson for the Liberal campaign, said we had no records or knowledge of the matter. Ms Telford did not respond to a request for comment.
The Liberals did not have a formal complaints process for political personnel at the time of the Christmas party in 2015, a leading Liberal source said. One was created in 2017, when the Prime Minister’s Office launched the Harassment Resolution and Investigation Office. He is within the PMO and headed by Brett Thalmann, who is Executive Director for Planning, Administration and People, and responsible for Human Resources. The source said lower-level employees do not trust the internal complaints process because the person responsible for their career advancement also handles complaints.
The Globe does not identify the source as they were not authorized to discuss internal matters.
On Monday, the Conservative Party removed a candidate from Nova Scotia after allegations of sexual misconduct against him surfaced online. The former candidate denies having committed a wrongdoing.
Asked about the Liberal Party’s policy for candidates facing allegations of sexual misconduct, Trudeau said on Monday that every situation is different and must be dealt with with the proper process.
Canadians deserve to know that the people who stand up to represent them, to serve them in the House of Commons, are not people who have disrespected or behaved badly or who face serious allegations, have said Mr. Trudeau.
Calgary Conservative candidate Michelle Rempel Garner accused the Liberals of covering up misconduct.
Justin Trudeau’s past actions show that he will not act on allegations of sexual misconduct within the Liberal Party of Canada and the federal government. He has a habit of covering up or looking away from these kinds of allegations, Rempel Garner said in a statement.
NDP candidate Lindsay Mathyssen said in a statement that Mr. Trudeau refused to live up to his own words and remove Mr. Saini as a candidate.
Doesn’t Justin Trudeau believe in these young women who bravely came forward? Does he understand the terrible message he is sending to women across the country? she said.
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