Senator urged to resign after 'disgusting' relationship with teenage girl

[Tennis]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/don-...sign-1.4019721

Leaders from all sides of the Red Chamber were unequivocal in their denunciation of Senator Don Meredith today while calling on him to resign after the release of a damning report that detailed his two-year sexual relationship with a teenager.

"I would be very disappointed if he walks through the doors of the Senate again," Newfoundland Conservative Senator David Wells told reporters. "We're all disgusted, I don't think the Senate is any place for a person of that character. The things he has done are disgusting and are wrong by any measure."

Meredith, who was appointed as a Conservative senator by former prime minister Stephen Harper in 2010 before becoming a member of the Independent Senators Group (ISG), denies many of the allegations levelled against him by the woman in question — who is identified by Lyse Ricard, the ethics officer, as "Ms. M" in the report — but concedes he had sexual intercourse with her on at least one occasion.

Ricard found reason to believe Meredith and Ms. M had intercourse three times, including once when the woman was 17 years old.

Meredith, 52, denies the allegation.

Peter Harder, the government's representative in the Senate, said he has written to Meredith to ask him to immediately resign. "I read the report last night, after it was tabled, and I find the report very disturbing. It would be appropriate if the senator vacated his seat."

"The whole Senate will determine what sanctions, if any, will be imposed," he said, if Meredith does not voluntarily resign. Harder said it was not immediately clear if the chamber had the ability to expel Meredith outright, but, according to his reading of the rules, it is a possibility.

Ricard found that Meredith violated two sections of the code of ethics, namely that the Toronto-area senator and Pentecostal pastor did not uphold the highest standards of dignity inherent to his position, and that his actions reflect adversely on the institution of the Senate.

Ricard's report will be referred to the Senate's ethics committee for review, which may recommend that the Senate as a whole take action — including a suspension.

In the meantime, the ISG has asked Don Meredith to step aside from its caucus, "in light of the very serious findings," a joint statement from senators Elaine McCoy and Larry Campbell said. "We are also calling upon the Senate ethics committee to meet as expeditiously as possible to study the report and make recommendations to the Senate on this matter without delay."

McCoy, the convener of the ISG, said Meredith will be removed from all Senate committees — he sits on the veterans affairs subcommittee — and her "personal advice" to the senator is to resign.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Meredith's expulsion is "a question for Senate leadership. … It is not for me to weigh in on how the Senate should conduct itself, but every politician in Canada, senator or MP, needs to conduct themselves in a way that is worthy of the public trust placed in them."

While engaged in a sexual relationship with her, Meredith wrote a letter of reference for Ms. M in support of her application for a parliamentary internship program. He also communicated with the woman's parents to discuss "business dealings," and sought to collaborate with the woman's sister on a non-profit initiative.

"Senator Meredith drew upon his weight, prestige and notability of his office, as well as his relative position of power as a much older adult, to lure or attract Ms. M, a teenager who, by virtue of her age, was necessarily vulnerable," Ricard said in her report. "He exploited Ms. M and the power imbalance between them."
'No reason to keep him here'

Conservative Senator Vern White, Ottawa's former chief of police, said Meredith should be expeditiously removed from the Red Chamber given the nature of his behaviour.

"There's no possible reason to keep him there," White told reporters outside the Senate. "I'll tell you what my feelings are: He shouldn't be there, but I'm one of 105 [senators]. I tend to think lots of people feel that way. We have to deal with people who behave in this manner, and we will do that.

"I am absolutely looking forward to what the ethics committee comes back with," the White said.

Meredith told the ethics officer that he is seeking spiritual guidance, is in "continuous prayers of repentance," and was studying the ethics code, things he said show he is remedying his behaviour. Ricard said that is simply not enough given the serious nature of his transgressions.

Sigh. It really makes you wonder how many people are up to no good out there in the world. Thankfully some of these villains get outed.

[Independent voter]

Is this a Canadian thing? The word "senator" is throwing me.

[Xeones]

Oh, Canada. Took too long for that to be made clear in the article.

[Underverse]

I don't really see a problem here. 'Power imbalance' relationships are beneficial for both parties in the vast majority of cases; although 'power imbalance' is perhaps the wrong way to describe it, because that girl clearly held quite a bit of power over the senator.

What is disgusting to me is your disgust, and the inevitable disgust of others who are about to assail this thread.

[Tennis]

Oh, Canada. Took too long for that to be made clear in the article.

What country it happened in is irrelevant. What matters is the action of the individual and what penalty he should face.

[Rixis]

She was legal age.

It's the other bits that make it dodgy.

[Arachnofiend]

Why? Age of consent varies through out the world. I believe it's 14 in Spain and this would be perfectly legal.

Even if the woman in question was thirty years old there is evidence that he traded his political influence for sexual favors. The woman's age only makes things worse.

[Tennis]

I don't really see a problem here. 'Power imbalance' relationships are beneficial for both parties in the vast majority of cases; although 'power imbalance' is perhaps the wrong way to describe it, because that girl clearly held quite a bit of power over the senator.

What is disgusting to me is your disgust, and the inevitable disgust of others who are about to assail this thread.

He was married. It's disgusting what he did. Read the article.

[Underverse]

What country it happened in is irrelevant. What matters is the action of the individual and what penalty he should face.

What penalties should he face?

Ricard found that Meredith violated two sections of the code of ethics, namely that the Toronto-area senator and Pentecostal pastor did not uphold the highest standards of dignity inherent to his position, and that his actions reflect adversely on the institution of the Senate.

This is hilarious. I didn't know a code of ethics could be so generally defined; 'reflecting poorly' can mean literally anything depending on the whims of culture at the time. And what is the 'dignity inherent to his position'? Are his actions undignified? Dignity is a subjective term with subjective premises. It sounds a lot like some people just don't agree with his actions for personal reasons. They should get over it.

[luc54]

Even if the woman in question was thirty years old there is evidence that he traded his political influence for sexual favors. The woman's age only makes things worse.

Less slimy Berluscone types the better, but in this case age should be irrelevant as she's above age of cosent in Canada 16. It's not illegal for him to have sex with her. It's just ethically questionable act for a senator to try to make intermns have sex with him. Just fire him and be done with it.

[Biomega]

Sexual mores aside, a personal relationship where a government official does business deals or any other kind of deals with parties involved in that relationship is always a cause for concern. That's teetering on the edge of very dangerous territory and should rightfully be under extremely close scrutiny. There are ethics committees for a reason. While of course you can never completely eliminate the personal connections factor, I think there is an absolute necessity to impose and enforce limits.

As for the whole sex thing, "a teenager" sounds dramatic but judging from the tone I get the impression this is not a case of underage sex. If they're legally an adult (or of legal age to consent, anyway), then by all means, let them fuck whoever they want as long as it's consensual. Other issues connected to that sexual relationship are a whole different cup of tea, though, and should be addressed accordingly. Just suspending someone for legal and consensual sex does not sound right.

[Underverse]

He was married. It's disgusting what he did. Read the article.

I did read the article. There is no indication that he cheated; you can have sex with other people while still married, as long as your partner understands what's going on.

- - - Updated - - -

Even if the woman in question was thirty years old there is evidence that he traded his political influence for sexual favors. The woman's age only makes things worse.

I'm not entirely convinced that this is a bad thing, per se. If the woman is still qualified for the job, then there's no problem. It becomes an issue if she's unqualified and received that position in return for sex, but this would reflect poorly on the senator, so the cost is internally realized.

[Biomega]

I'm not entirely convinced that this is a bad thing, per se. If the woman is still qualified for the job, then there's no problem. It becomes an issue if she's unqualified and received that position in return for sex, but this would reflect poorly on the senator, so the cost is internally realized.

The problem is that you have a hard time proving anything, as things like qualifications are often very subjective. The potential for abuse, however, is enormous. That's why most ethics guidelines err on the side of caution, arguing that preventing favoritism is more important than the few fringe cases of the best applicant coincidentally also fucking the one who decides on the application.

[Rennadrel]

Ironic, considering no one judges the Olsen twins for both having husbands who are two decades older than them. It's amusing how it's unacceptable for a man to be caught having a relationship with a teenager when he is considerably older, but if a woman who is famous chooses to be in a relationship with a man who is older than her, it's perfectly acceptable. I mean, Tom Cruise is in his 50's? And he was married to a woman half his age, and no one really bitched about it or made him give us his career. Fuck this kind of hyperbole. I am not saying that I agree with the behavior, especially when it's with a teenager, but a woman has a right to make her own choices once she reaches adulthood.

[Self Inflicted Wounds]

He was married. It's disgusting what he did. Read the article.

What if he is in an open marriage?

[Arachnofiend]

I'm not entirely convinced that this is a bad thing, per se. If the woman is still qualified for the job, then there's no problem. It becomes an issue if she's unqualified and received that position in return for sex, but this would reflect poorly on the senator, so the cost is internally realized.

...You can't honestly be serious, can you? The woman's qualifications are irrelevant. Let's reverse what the woman did and pretend that she refused his offer; whether she was qualified for the internship or not a man that asks for sexual favors in return for that position is not going to give her the position if she says no.

[gyrados]

TIL canada also have senators

[Bapestar]

What if he is in an open marriage?

Doubt he is.

[Biomega]

Ironic, considering no one judges the Olsen twins for both having husbands who are two decades older than them. It's amusing how it's unacceptable for a man to be caught having a relationship with a teenager when he is considerably older, but if a woman who is famous chooses to be in a relationship with a man who is older than her, it's perfectly acceptable. I mean, Tom Cruise is in his 50's? And he was married to a woman half his age, and no one really bitched about it or made him give us his career. Fuck this kind of hyperbole. I am not saying that I agree with the behavior, especially when it's with a teenager, but a woman has a right to make her own choices once she reaches adulthood.

This is especially true given that there ARE in fact lines drawn as to when someone can legally make free choices about their own sexual relationships, and such a line was NOT crossed here. It was all legal. Yet people are upset about the age. I wonder when THEY would draw the line, and why. Would it be okay if she was 20? What about 19? What about 18 and 11 months? 18 and 10 months? Guess what, you arrive at a point where you have to decide, and that decision has in fact been made by the law. What do they want, for people to adhere to everyone else's vague sense of propriety regardless of what the law says?

Of course, the whole favoritism thing is still not okay. For unrelated reasons. Would be the same if she was 71 and not 17.

[Self Inflicted Wounds]

Doubt he is.

But do you know?