The most senior official in the House of Commons has agreed to launch a reviewinto whether there were issues with the government's handling of former Liberal candidate Raj Saini's case, according to a new letter obtained by CBC News
Saini ended his bid for re-election on Saturday after a series of allegations of unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate comments were made public. Saini denies the allegations as "unequivocally false" and said a workplace assessment by a third-party cleared him of any harassment in the summer of 2020.
Trudeau stood behind Saini for days,as well as the government's "rigorous" process before reversing course this weekend. Trudeau said on Sunday there were new allegations that came forward and Sainiwill no longer be running under the Liberal banner.
Conservative candidate Michelle Rempel Garner last weekcalled on the clerk of the House of Commons, Charles Robert, to probe whether that process was conducted properly, since the complainant who triggered a 2020workplace assessment of Saini's office said she was not interviewed.
Rempel Garner also asked Robertto look into MPs' workplace harassment policy to determine if it is sufficient to stop the "culture of sexual misconduct" on ParliamentHill and ensure that those in power are held accountable.
Robert confirmed in a letter to Rempel Garner yesterday that he has taken action.
"In answer to your request, I have asked the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) to examine the matters raised in your letter to assess whether there are any shortcomings present in the Policy or its application and to propose appropriate changes, if needed," wrote Robert in the letter.
Robert wrote that the results of the evaluation and any recommendations will be presented to a parliamentary committee, but he didn't provide a date.
"You can be assured that I share your commitment to providing a healthy and respectful work environment free from harassment to all employees who come on Parliament Hill to work in service to their country," Robertwrote in his response to Rempel Garner.
CBC News reported the allegations against Sainion Aug. 31, after seven sources with knowledge of the complaints spoke about four different instances of the then member of Parliament allegedly making unwanted sexual advances or inappropriate comments toward Liberal staffers.
Sources said a senior member of the government first brought concerns about allegations at a Liberal holiday party six years ago to the Prime Minister's Office and Justin Trudeau's chief of staff, Katie Telford.
Trudeau said on Sunday he was "pretty frustrated' by the scandal.
"Obviously, this is a far from ideal situation that we no longer have any candidate in that riding," said Trudeau. "There's going to be lots of reflections on what we could, should have done differently."
The senior staffer who said she wasn't allowed to participate in the review filed a Canadian Human Rights Commission complaint last year alleging that Saini touched her thigh on more than one occasion, made inappropriate comments and harassed her. Fearing career reprisals, she asked CBC News to keep her identity confidential.
She alleges Saini's treatment contributed to her mental distress. She said she tried to take her own life by overdosing on pills in Saini's office in March 2020.
Saini said he got the police involved over concerns for his own safety. The former senior staffer sent repeated text messages and emails to Saini while on sick leave, demanding he apologize or else she'd sue, go to HR or make her accusations public, according to correspondence shared with CBC News.
Saini and Liberal whip Mark Holland's office said in 2020 that the staffer could participate in a workplace assessment when she returned from sick leave, but was dismissed from her job with cause.
In the dismissal letter, the House of Commons said she engaged in a"pattern of persistent and incessant communications that you refused to cease" and "also made unwelcome and disparaging comments toward the MP and staff, all of which have now required police intervention."
Rempel Garner wrote to Robert saying that what took place "does not actually sound like an actual investigation" was conducted and wondering if the "policy is sufficient and actually works."
The deadline to file nomination forms with Elections Canada has already passed, meaning the Liberals will not be able to field another candidate in the riding and Saini, who won the seat in 2019 by almost 6,000 votes ahead of Green Party candidate Mike Morrice, will remain on the ballot.
Trudeau said Saini will not be a member of the Liberal Party caucus regardless of what happens election day.
See more here:
- Have the Liberal Arts Gone Conservative? - The New Yorker - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Letters to the Editor: 'I see myself in Katie Britt' what liberal critics missed in the senator's response - Los Angeles Times - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Even when it criticizes Israel, the liberal world is not against us - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Former Trump Aide Alyssa Farah Griffin Becomes a Liberal Favorite - The New York Times - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Renowned author, liberal arts proponent to deliver annual Lester Lectures - Mercer University - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- NYU to Host Zaheer Ali at the Annual Liberal Studies Student Research ColloquiumApril 5 - NYU - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Power to the Neighborhoods!: New York City Growth Politics, Neighborhood Liberalism, and the Origins of the ... - Joint Center for Housing Studies - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Canada's Conservatives back NDP-Liberal anti-scab legislation that undermines the right to strike - WSWS - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- The Surprising Left-Right Alliance That Wants More Apartments in Suburbs - The New York Times - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- PARKER: Clarence Thomas, liberal racism and the ongoing denigration of Black conservatives - Kankakee Daily Journal - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Media Scream: Hollywoods freaks over Trump - Washington Examiner - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Why liberals failed in the fight against antisemitism - JNS.org - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Renew manifesto sneak peek and bits from Bucharest congress - EURACTIV - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Katie Britt calls on liberal media 'to pay attention' to border - 1819 News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal truck wash cited $171k for OSHA violations - KSN-TV - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Over 30,000 Killed in Gaza, but Even Israel's 'Liberal Left' Says: That's War - Opinion - Haaretz - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Man Injured in Beaver County Accident - KSCB News.net - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- What is the Market's View on China Liberal Education Holdings Ltd (CLEU) Stock's Price and Volume Trends Monday? - InvestorsObserver - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- German liberals send defence expert into tripartite EU election leadership team - EURACTIV - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Ramaswamy warns liberal justices 'buying political latitude' with 9-0 ruling as more Trump cases lie ahead - Fox News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- How much of this is propelled by white liberal guilt from executives?: Gutfeld - Fox News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberals and the Libel of Christian Nationalism - The Imaginative Conservative - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Arts & Science Academy - Austin extends home winning streak to seven - MaxPreps - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Racism and the Denigration of Black Conservatives - Daily Signal - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Watchdog group exposes radical, liberal ideology of school-based health centers - The Lion - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- What happens when a liberal learns her family owned slaves? - Leader & Times - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Is it Liberal Arts, Without the Arts? - Xavier Newswire - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Quebec Liberal Party would be more popular with Denis Coderre at the helm: poll - Montreal Gazette - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Maine's Liberal Members of Congress Stand by Biden After Disastrous, Confused Press Conference - The Maine Wire - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Liberal Media Scream: Kristen Welker likes to lecture Republicans, too - Washington Examiner - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Australia's only Liberal government lives on - for now - Yahoo News Australia - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Liberal institutions are the threat to liberal institutions Claudine Gay is warning about - Washington Examiner - January 10th, 2024 [January 10th, 2024]
- Elon Musk, the "free speech absolutist" kicks liberal journalists off Twitter - Daily Kos - January 10th, 2024 [January 10th, 2024]
- Liberal Arts and studies in humanities under attack on college campuses - The Community Word - January 10th, 2024 [January 10th, 2024]
- Liberal candidate for federal byelection planned to run for Conservatives last year - National Post - January 10th, 2024 [January 10th, 2024]
- Bill Barton: 'The Liberal by the Bay' - Redheaded Blackbelt - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- OPINION | Female-dominated liberal arts imperative in male-dominated tech world - Tulane Hullabaloo - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts job with Tarleton State University | 37572379 - The Chronicle of Higher Education - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Laughing Stock: 'A liberal agenda' may not be what you think - Tucson Weekly - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Justin Trudeau plays the Trump card - POLITICO - POLITICO - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Norman Lear, Producer Of TV's 'All In The Family' And Influential Liberal Advocate, Dies At 101 - Newstalk 750 - 103.7 ... - KFQD - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Kremlin Taps Liberal Businessman to Oppose Putin in 2024 Election Report - The Moscow Times - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Norman Lear, producer of TV's 'All in the Family' and influential liberal advocate, has died at 101 - WV News - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- MoveOn Carries Out Layoffs as Liberal Groups Struggle to Raise Money - The New York Times - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Norman Lear, producer of TV's 'All in the Family' and influential liberal advocate, has died at 101 - El Paso Inc. - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- UW System President suggests universities with high numbers of low income students should shift away from liberal arts - Wisconsin Examiner - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Norman Lear, producer of TV's 'All in the Family' and influential liberal advocate, has died at 101 - The Caledonian-Record - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Israels representative in New York resigned to protest Netanyahu. Now hes got some tough words for liberal New York Jews. - Forward - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Neal Milner: Watch That Swinging Door, Liberals, Lest It Hit You On The Way Out - Honolulu Civil Beat - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- The Liberal Answer to Cancel Culture - Manhattan Institute - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Study: Liberal US priests facing 'progressive' extinction - The Pillar - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Liberal Jewish U.S. Groups Are Walking an Oh-So-Thin Tightrope - The New Republic - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Why a liberal arts degree is often a ticket to career success - USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Open Forum: In their time, founding fathers were liberal - The Winchester Star - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Liberals announce National Campaign Committee Co-Chairs - Liberal Party of Canada - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- UT College of Liberal Arts hosts panel about Senate Bill 17 - The Daily Texan - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Liberal Arts student uses platform to educate others on the ... - Pennsylvania State University - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Stanford celebrates 50 years of Structured Liberal Education ... - Stanford University News - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Brookline homes: One wealthy liberal town reckons with its past - The Boston Globe - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- The Value of a Liberal Arts Degree: Whats the Return on Investment? - The New York Times - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- California Police Say Investigation Ongoing into Death of Liberal Pro ... - Crime Report - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Liberal Arts, IST student scores sports technology internship with ... - Pennsylvania State University - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- And the award for the worst Liberal Party leader goes to... - The New Daily - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Street fights over prayer offer liberal Israelis a chance to define a Judaism they can believe in - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Unmasking Hinduphobic Cartoons: The Liberal Media's Double Standard - The Jaipur Dialogues - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- UC presents lecture on liberal arts featuring Michael W. Twitty - University of Cincinnati - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- ISU makes progress on liberal arts cuts through incentivized ... - The Gazette - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Investing in the future of the liberal arts | Binghamton News - Binghamton - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Challenges to Liberal Democracy on Global Scale Is Topic of 2023 ... - University of Idaho - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Liberal Democrats edge ahead of Labour on charging, with free ... - Disability News Service - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Kerry Washington Creates $1 Million Earl and Valerie Washington ... - GW Today - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- LILLEY: Justice Rouleau may have old Liberal Party ties but he's not Justin Trudeau's uncle or related at all - Toronto Sun - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Brian Lilley: Justice Rouleau may have old Liberal Party ties but he's not Justin Trudeau's uncle or related at all - The Province - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- force.com - November 27th, 2022 [November 27th, 2022]
- Liberal Party SA - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From ... - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Ex-VP Hamid Ansari's 'Challenges to a liberal polity' book review: The politics of being Indian - The New Indian Express - November 7th, 2022 [November 7th, 2022]
- English | Liberal Arts | UT - Austin - November 5th, 2022 [November 5th, 2022]
- Liberal values are absolute - The Tribune India - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Fixing another liberal tax burden - The Hill - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]