Alleged victims of disgraced senator frustrated by Red Chamber's reaction to criminal charges
CBC
Two people who have accused former senator Don Meredith of abuse say they're frustrated by the Senate's failure to strip the ex-parliamentarian — now charged with sex crimes — of his "honourable" title and other parliamentary privileges.
In an interview with CBC News, two of Meredith's alleged victims — who have accused the former senator of harassing them while on the job — said it's unconscionable that some members of the Red Chamber appear unwilling to bring this nine-year scandal to a close.
They say Meredith's alleged actions against them — and the recent decision by Ottawa police to lay four criminal charges against him — show he is not an "honourable" man. They say the Senate should take action to close the book on this sordid chapter once and for all.
CBC has agreed not to name the two individuals because they both still work on Parliament Hill. They also signed non-disclosure agreements limiting what they can say after they were financially compensated by the Senate for Meredith's alleged abuse.
They are two of nine employees — eight former Senate staffers and a parliamentary constable — who have alleged Meredith acted inappropriately toward them while he was serving in the upper house.
That alleged behaviour included unwanted kissing and touching and exposure of his penis, along with yelling and aggressive behaviour in the office. The Senate ethics officer investigated these claims as part of a years-long probe and found them credible.
The former senator is also alleged to have had a sexual relationship with a teenage girl.
CBC asked Meredith's current criminal defence lawyer for a comment on this story but didn't get a response.
One of the two alleged harassment victims who spoke to CBC said seeing the Senate punt a decision on the matter was like "reliving a nightmare."
"I just don't understand why this is happening and it's beyond frustrating. Senators keep saying they're a voice for the most vulnerable but they've proved me wrong yet again. It's just the old boy's club," she said.
"I should say I'm not at all surprised. I was expecting this and they're meeting my lowest expectations. If this motion had passed through the chamber smoothly, I would've run out and bought a 6/49 ticket and won — that's how unlikely it was."
She said she can't stomach the thought of Meredith walking the halls of Parliament — her workplace.
"My workplace should be a safe place. I fought for this. I fought for others. And right now, he can just walk right into the parliamentary precinct and nobody's able to stop him," she said.
As a former senator, Meredith has access privileges that are different from those enjoyed by the general public.
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