It’s quite likely that the recent troubles and allegations surrounding Liberal MP Marwan Tabbara represent the first time that most Canadians have heard of this politician. Yet for this relatively unknown backbencher, it almost seems like people were going out of their way to protect him.
Hopefully that wasn’t the case, but it’s not unreasonable for Canadians to expect some answers here.
Earlier this month we learned that Tabbara, the MP for Kitchener South-Hespeler, had been arrested in Guelph, Ont., in early April and was facing some rather serious charges, including assault, breaking and entering to commit an indictable offence, and criminal harassment.
Tabbara “stepped back” from the Liberal caucus after news of the charges came to light, but he remained in caucus for almost two months after the arrest.
How on earth did something like this remain a secret for so many weeks? The Liberals claim to have been unaware of what had happened, which seems unlikely but at least possible, given that Guelph police for some reason did not publicly disclose the arrest.
Tabbara was not only arrested and charged, he spent the Easter weekend in jail before being released following a bail hearing. Obviously, someone arrested and charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty, but many other Canadians not in politics have not enjoyed the luxury of having their legal plights handled so discreetly by law enforcement.
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This is unacceptable.
If politicians are accused of crimes, and especially convicted of crimes, their constituents deserve to know. If Tabbara’s arrest and charges weren’t disclosed, how would anyone know to cover this trial if it got to that point? And if he was found to be guilty, would anyone be there to report on that?
But while the Prime Minister’s Office might have been as much in the dark as the rest of us in regard to Tabbara’s legal ordeal, it appears that the same cannot be said of some additional allegations of disturbing behaviour that have come to light.
Prime Minister Trudeau was very careful with his words on Friday when asked about sexual harassment allegations against Tabbara.
The CBC had reported earlier about the allegations and the investigation that ensued ahead of the 2019 federal election. Tabbara was approved to run as a Liberal candidate, even though the party’s lengthy internal investigation had reportedly substantiated some of the allegations.
Given how vocal Trudeau has been about having a “zero tolerance” approach to sexual harassment, it’s certainly worth knowing what role, if any, he played in allowing Tabbara to run or how the decision was reached to greenlight the candidacy.
Trudeau refused to comment directly on what he knew or when he knew it. He simply stated that as leader he is “continually informed” about investigations and that there is a “rigorous process” in place for dealing with such matters. That doesn’t really answer any of the important questions here.
The CBC’s report suggests that the alleged victim had reported the harassment to the Liberal Party numerous times dating back to at least 2015, and that senior officials in both the government and the party were aware of these claims.
It’s hard to imagine what it must have taken for this woman to have come forward in the first place, and it’s hard to imagine what she must make of how all of this has been handled.
It also raises a more troubling question. How might history have unfolded if the Liberal Party had taken these allegations more seriously last year? And what became of the investigation once the election was over? If the criminal allegations are ultimately proven in court, then this whole matter could become a lot more unsettling than it already is.
In the meantime, though, the public deserves far more in the way of answers than we’ve received so far. There has been far too much secrecy, and it creates more than a whiff of favourable treatment and double standards.
Rob Breakenridge is host of “Afternoons with Rob Breakenridge” on Global News Radio 770 Calgary and a commentator for Global News.
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