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Lindsay Mathyssen, a London New Democrat, said 'there is a clear pattern with Justin Trudeau. All of his talk about feminism isnt reflected in his actions'

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Erin OToole accused the highest echelons of the Liberal party of no accountability and a culture of cover-up in relation to a Liberal candidate whos being allowed to run despite facing numerous sexual misconduct allegations.

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The attack by the Conservative party leader is the latest broadside against the Liberal party over its proclaimed zero tolerance policy for harassment, as the party and leader Justin Trudeau continues to stand by Raj Saini, the Liberal candidate for Kitchener Centre, whos facing the allegations.

Former Liberal justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould condemned Trudeaus support for the candidate in a blistering comment.

Anyone who has a responsibility to address this and does not is not fit to lead, Wilson-Raybould tweeted. Anyone who stands by and does nothing is complicit. Anyone who is surprised has not been paying attention.

Wilson-Raybould was pushed out of Trudeaus Liberal government during the 2019 SNC-Lavalin scandal.

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Anyone who has a responsibility to address this and does not is not fit to lead. Anyone who stands by and does nothing is complicit. Anyone who is surprised has not been paying attention. #cdnpoli #elxn44 #metoo https://t.co/qC0jM9ag96

The allegations against Saini, according to several sources who spoke to CBC News, include touching and being handsy' at a party function; following a staffer around asking for her phone number; late night requests for a staffer to come to the office and, in one case, a senior staffer told the CBC she considered suicide, alleging Saini would push her up against the wall during outbursts and had touched her leg.

Sources told CBC that higher-ups in the party were made aware of Sainis behaviour, but nothing was done.

The Post has been unable to independently verify the allegations CBC reported, though Saini and the party have denied wrongdoing.

The Liberals have faced a handful of sexual misconduct scandals since they first formed government in 2015.

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Most recently, Trudeau came under questioning about whether or not he was aware of a sexual misconduct allegation made against Jonathan Vance, then Chief of Defence Staff.

A House of Commons committee heard that the Prime Ministers Office, and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjans office, were made aware of the allegations in 2018. Trudeau insisted he knew nothing, and that it wasnt clear it was a MeToo type complaint.

Trudeaus chief of staff, Katie Telford, said she was aware of a complaint against Vance but didnt know the details.

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In the Saini case, the CBC said complainants told them that the Liberal Party and Telford were aware of allegations.

However, the Liberals responded, We have no records or knowledge of this matter.

For his part, on Tuesday Trudeau appeared to acknowledge that the party was now aware of issues. Without going into details, Trudeau said Mr. Saini has shared the processes, there have been rigorous processes undertaken that he has shared the details of.

Asked if Saini will be allowed to continue as a candidate, a spokesman for the Liberals said, I will refer you to Mr. Sainis statement regarding the process followed in this matter.

OToole accused the Liberals of a pattern of behaviour.

This is a pattern with Mr. Trudeau and his office, OToole said.Everyone knew except Mr. Trudeau, apparently. Now we see this same culture of cover-up was taking place with their own paid staff members, its very concerning. And I hope to hear a serious response from the prime minister and his team on how this type of cover-up took place.

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On Tuesday, Michelle Rempel Garner, a Calgary Conservative, said Trudeau has a pattern of covering up or looking the other way on these kinds of allegations.

Lindsay Mathyssen, a London New Democrat, said there is a clear pattern with Justin Trudeau.

All of his talk about feminism isnt reflected in his actions, Mathyssen said in a statement.

Saini, a pharmacist, was first elected in 2015.

That Saini remains as a candidate stands in sharp contrast with Trudeaus earlier statements that he shows zero tolerance for harassment, after Troy Myers, the Conservative candidate for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, dropped out of the race, while denying allegations of harassment.

Canadians deserve to know the people standing up to represent them, to serve them in the House of Commons are not people who have shown disrespect, misbehaved or are facing serious allegations, said Trudeau on Monday.

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In a statement, Saini said he had never acted inappropriately towards staff or constituents.

The statement said he was made aware of one allegation regarding my office, but the individual chose not to pursue a formal or informal complaint process.

Saini said he insisted on a third-party review of his office, done through the House of Commons. Saini, who did not respond to a request for a copy of documents relating to that review, said it was finished in June 2020 and found nothing arose regarding concerns of harassment in the office.

Saini also said he provided information to the Waterloo Regional Police over concerns about his safety and that of his staff, and that the police took action to mediate the situation.

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The Post sought confirmation and comment from the Waterloo police, but did not receive a response by press time. With additional reporting by Michael Higgins and Adrian Humphreys

Email: tdawson@postmedia.com | Twitter: tylerrdawson

LIBERAL SEX SCANDALS

Since coming into office, the Liberals and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have been confronted with a number of sexual misconduct allegations.

Marwan Tabbara, who represented Ontarios Kitchener SouthHespeler, was allowed to run in the 2019 federal election under the Liberal banner despite facing an internal investigation regarding allegations of inappropriate touching and unwelcome sexual comments against a female staff member during his 2015 run for Parliament. He is now facing break and enter, assault and criminal harassment charges in an unrelated incident.

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One of the first challenges for Justin Trudeau was when two female New Democrat MPs levelled complaints against Liberal MPs Massimo Pacettiand Scott Andrews in 2014. Trudeaususpended the two Liberals from caucus pending a third-partyinvestigation, at the conclusion of which the pair voluntarilyresignedfrom caucus permanently.

In 2017, Darshan Kang, a Calgary Liberal, resigned from caucus; a parliamentary investigation later substantiated some of the sexual harassment allegations he faced, and Kang did not run for re-election in 2019.

Another MP, Calgarian Kent Hehr who lost in 2019 resigned from his cabinet position in 2018 over a sexual harassment allegation.

Trudeau himself has faced an allegation of unwanted touching, back in August 2000, during an interaction with a local newspaper reporter. In 2018, when a newspaper report of the incident resurfaced, Trudeau said he had no memory of untoward or inappropriate action. Trudeau said in 2018,I fully respect her ability to experience something differently.

Tyler Dawson

From now until the bitter end of Election 44, the National Post is publishing a special daily edition of First Reading, our politics newsletter, to keep you posted on the ins and outs (and way outs) of the campaign. All curated by the National Posts own Tristin Hopper and published Monday to Friday at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 9 a.m. Sign up here.

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Liberals accused of 'culture of cover-up' in handling of sexual misconduct accusations - National Post