Facing criminal charges, Sault MPP absent as Queen’s Park resumes work

Members of Provincial Parliament returned to Queen’s Park on Monday morning, with one notable exception: Sault MPP Chris Scott.

Members of Provincial Parliament returned to Queen’s Park on Monday morning, with one notable exception.

Instead of being at the legislature, Sault MPP Chris Scott will be in court this week on assault and assault with a weapon charges.

Scott, who was charged last month, said at the beginning of the month that he would be taking a leave to deal with his legal matters.

David Tabachnick, a political science professor at Nipissing University, said Scott was elected to represent voters in his riding.

“And that includes showing up in the legislature and representing your constituency,” Tabachnick said.

“If indeed this turns out to be a long hiatus where Mr. Scott does not show up to engage in that representation, in a way, he’s not doing his job.”

Ontario’s New Democrats have been vocal that Scott should step down, and have created a website titled ‘Has Chris Scott Resigned.’

Tabachnick said that, legal issues aside, there are valid reasons for locals to want the Sault MPP to resign.

“It’s not so much even that he’s that these charges are there against him, which are very serious,” he said.

Now an independent

“It’s that he’s now sitting as an independent -- and that’s … not what the voters of Sault Ste Marie went to the ballot for.”

If there were a byelection, he expects Scott would lose -- and that’s something Tabachnick is likely top of mind in Scott’s decision not to call for a byelection.

“I think he would be pretty tough for Mr. Scott to get elected as an independent in the first place,” he said.

“Considering also how close the election was -- I think with some 114 votes he won by -- so that in and of itself will be difficult. And then on top of it, the fact that he is under these allegations, it’s not a good look.”

Scott’s first court appearance will be at the Sault Courthouse on Wednesday morning.

Tabachnick added that, while the MPP is innocent until proven guilty, if he is convicted and sentenced to a prison sentence longer than two years, it would mean his automatic expulsion from office.