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PC MPP Chris Scott was released last month on bail under a series of conditions, including not to have any contact with his spouse, except in certain circumstances.Cole Burston/The Canadian Press
An Ontario MPP who was kicked out of the Progressive Conservative caucus after his arrest on assault charges says he is taking a short leave but plans to stay on as an elected official.
Chris Scott, a first-term representative from Sault Ste. Marie, was removed from the PC caucus last month by Premier Doug Ford after he was charged with assault in what court documents describe as an alleged case of intimate partner violence.
In his first public remarks about the allegations, Mr. Scott on Thursday said he has retained counsel and has “trust and confidence” in the criminal justice system. He said it would be inappropriate to comment further about the charges and requests privacy for his family, especially his children.
“I am taking a short leave from partisan and non-essential public appearances but remain fully committed to serving the people of Sault Ste. Marie as I was elected to do,” Mr. Scott said in a statement posted to Facebook.
“Constituency services will continue without interruption, and my work as your MPP continues. My office remains open to help residents with casework, government programs, and everyday issues.”
Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker, however, said a leave of absence is “unacceptable for our community, given the enormity of the challenges we face that fall directly within the purview of the provincial government.”
”He should resign to allow someone who is able and willing to do the job to take over,” Mr. Shoemaker said in a statement to The Globe and Mail.
Ontario PC MPP Chris Scott booted from caucus after arrest
The Ontario NDP has also called for Mr. Scott’s resignation.
Mr. Scott did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Prior to his removal from caucus, Mr. Scott was the parliamentary assistant to Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce. He now sits as an independent.
Mr. Scott previously worked as a chief of staff in the Ontario government and as a special adviser to Mr. Ford’s chief of staff in the Premier’s Office.
According to a charge sheet from the Sault Ste. Marie criminal court, Mr. Scott faces one count of assault with a weapon and one count of assault. The alleged victim is his spouse, according to the court documents.
The alleged incident occurred in Sault Ste. Marie on Sept. 19. According to the court documents, the weapon used was a high chair.
The allegations have not been tested in court.
Mr. Scott was released last month on bail under a series of conditions, including not to have any contact, either indirectly or directly, with his spouse, except by family-court order, through legal counsel or through his mother.
The charge sheet also says Mr. Scott cannot be within 100 metres of his spouse’s home or workplace, with the exception of a family-court order, in the presence of legal counsel or if he is attending a hospital for medical emergencies involving his children.
He is to reside at a downtown Toronto condominium or a home in Sault Ste. Marie as long as the complainant is not there. He is prohibited from possessing any weapons, including firearms.
Mr. Ford has declined to comment on the allegations or the reason for Mr. Scott’s ouster. “You can ask Chris Scott the reason why,” the Premier said on Sept. 23, the day the charges were made public. Asked last week if Mr. Scott should resign as an MPP, Mr. Ford said: “We’ll let the investigation go forward, and then we’ll take it from there.”
After Mr. Scott’s arrest, NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam, the critic for the attorney-general, posted on social media: “It should go without saying that anyone under criminal charges should not be holding public office.” She tagged the post #IPVepidemic, short for intimate partner violence, highlighting a political debate over whether the Ford government should declare intimate partner violence an epidemic.
The Liberals, however, said that while the accusations are extremely serious, the court process should be allowed to play out.
If convicted and handed a sentence of more than two years, Mr. Scott would be removed from the legislature by law. The Liberals have said he should step aside even if he is convicted and receives a sentence of less than two years.
