OTTAWA -- In light of the nearly two months that went by before the federal government was made aware of criminal charges levelled against an Ontario MP, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is suggesting Parliament should consider updating the requirement to inform the House of Commons in instances where MPs are arrested.
Former Liberal and now Independent MP Marwan Tabbara was arrested and charged with two counts of assault, one count of break and enter, and one count of harassment after an incident in Guelph on April 10.
The information was not released to the public until June 5, which is when Trudeau said he first learned about the charges against his then-MP.
“It is certainly disappointing, as a party leader that the individual in question never chose to inform the party of which he was a part of, of these charges and I'll let the police and the prosecutors in this case speak for themselves,” Trudeau said on Friday.
When the charges came to light Tabbara announced in a statement that he would be “stepping back from the Liberal caucus.”
Asked about the delay between Tabbara’s arrest and when the Liberals found out about it, the prime minister said that the House of Commons rule that states that Parliament should be informed when an MP is arrested was not followed, nor has it **been in recent past.
Included in the House of Commons Procedure and Practice is a line that states: “If a Member is arrested on a criminal charge or is committed for a contempt of court, the House should be notified by the authorities if it is in session.”
In the Tabbara case, neither the House nor the Liberals were informed, according to the government.
“I think there's perhaps a reflection that that is something that we can look into,” Trudeau said.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Friday that she shared in the prime minister’s disappointment.
“We are all disappointed that the party and the government wasn’t informed when the recent issues first emerged,” she told reporters.
The Guelph Police have defended their decision not to publicize the charges against Tabbara.
Tabbara appeared before Guelph court officials on Friday, where the proceedings were adjourned until Aug. 28.
In his initial statement, Tabbara said he continues to receive counselling and treatment for anxiety and depression, which he says he has been living with “for some time.”
“Other than to state unequivocally that every incident of violence is unacceptable and inexcusable, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further while this matter is before the court,” he said.
Tabbara’s office has declined further comment. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
With files from CTV News Kitchener
