It is very difficult to write this, but given the findings from the recent hearing, Mike Mantha should resign from political office today.<\/p>\n
He should have done this already.<\/p>\n
The hearing between the Ontario New Democratic Party Caucus, the Canadian Office & Professional Employees Union, Local 343 and Sole Arbitrator Jasbir Parmar held via videoconference on July 25, 2024, and that Sole Arbitrator Parmar has:<\/p>\n
“concluded that the Grievor\u2019s employment was not terminated for just cause.\u00a0 Rather, as with the other Constituency Assistants in the office, the Grievor\u2019s employment with the ONDP Caucus was frustrated, through no fault of her own, following the removal of MPP Mantha from the ONDP Caucus based on the substantiated findings that he had engaged in sexual harassment, workplace harassment, discrimination on the basis of sex, abuse of authority and the creation of a toxic workplace in relation to the Grievor during the period of her employment.<\/em><\/p>\n As such, and on the joint request of the parties in the event of such a conclusion, I remit the matter of remedy arising out of the frustration of the Grievor\u2019s employment, as well as in respect of the workplace harassment grievance, back to the Parties.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n I shall remain seized in the event the Parties are unable to resolve the issue of remedy in respect of these grievances.”<\/em><\/p>\n Mantha has stated publically that “it is time to move past this matter”.<\/em><\/p>\n This is a very disappointing statement to make considering that there are “substantiated findings that he had engaged in sexual harassment, workplace harassment, discrimination on the basis of sex, abuse of authority and the creation of a toxic workplace in relation to the Grievor during the period of her employment<\/em>“; and that “Both parties to the grievances before me have accepted the findings of the Mortimer Report<\/em>“.<\/p>\n At this point, despite any good that Mantha has done for his riding, his behavour doesn’t exemplify one that should remain in political office.<\/p>\n The Ontario Government should strip him of the office of MPP. He doesn’t represent the NDP anymore, and shouldn’t represent the people of Algoma-Manitoulin.<\/p>\n