Former Liberal candidate dropped from party amid controversy says he'll sit as MP after winning Toronto riding
The former Liberal candidate elected in Spadina- Fort York has confirmed he intends to represent the riding in Ottawa despite calls for him to step aside after a past allegation of sexual assault came to light.
In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, Kevin Vuong acknowledged that “not everyone is happy” he was elected.
“On Monday, Canadians across the country cast their votes. Not everyone will have received the result they wanted, but everyone is counting on those elected to devote themselves to the service of everyone. That is what I intend to do,” he wrote.
“I appreciate that not everyone is happy with my election, and I very much understand why it is different in my case. For those who feel this way, I understand the source of your doubts and I will work hard to earn your trust.”
Just days before the election, the Toronto Star revealed that Vuong, a naval reservist and business owner, had faced a sexual assault charge in 2019, a charge that was later dropped by the Crown.
Following news of the allegations, the Liberal Party asked Vuong to “pause” his campaign and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau later confirmed that if elected, Vuong would not be part of the Liberal caucus.
Last week, the Liberals said they had no knowledge of the charge and vowed to improve the candidate vetting process in the future.
Vuong narrowly defeated NDP candidate Norm di Pasquale, a Toronto Catholic District School Board trustee, with about 38 per cent of the vote.
Vuong has denied the allegations against him, adding that “allegations of sexual assault are a serious matter, deserving of more discussion than this statement can provide.”
“For these reasons, I intend to address them at a later date more wholly in a dedicated forum. For now, it is necessary to clarify that we were involved in a casual but intimate relationship. I understood everything to be consensual, and was always respectful of her boundaries,” he wrote.
“I do not take these allegations against me lightly.”
The statement comes one day after Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca urged Vuong to “examine his conscience” and do “the right thing” by stepping down.
"I don't think Kevin can responsibly serve in the capacity as an MP for that community, given the circumstances of the allegation,” Del Duca, who campaigned with Vuong before the allegations came to light, told CTV News Toronto. “So I do hope that he does the right thing.”
After being turfed by the Liberals, Vuong will be forced to sit as an independent in the House of Commons.
Coun. Joe Cressy, who represents Spadina Fort-York on city council, also slammed Vuong for taking the post.
"Kevin Vuong did not earn the right to represent our Spadina-Fort York community. He should do the honourable and right thing and step aside," Cressy wrote on Twitter.
"If he wants to sit as an independent MP, he should campaign for the job as one."
Nate Erskine-Smith, the Liberal incumbent who won in Beaches- East York on Monday night, also urged Vuong to decline the job.
"One earns trust by acting with integrity," he wrote on Twitter. "In this case, that means stepping down."
The runner up, di Pasquale, said a byelection should be held to determine who should be the next Member of Parliament for Spadina- Fort York.
"The truth is that Kevin Vuong has not earned the right to serve this community. And while I did not win, he forfeited his right to stand as our MP," di Pasquale said in a statement posted on Twitter.
"In the days ahead we must all demand a by-election to determine a new choice. A better choice. Our community deserves no less."
With files from The Canadian Press and CTV News Toronto’s Colin D’Mello
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.