Victoria councillor caught in travel scandal won’t run again

The Somalian refugee who became a Victoria city councillor in 2018 will not operate for re-election in Oct.

On Twitter April 19, diversity and housing advocate Sharmarke Dubow cited the upcoming 10th anniversary of his transfer to Canada as the explanation to check out other opportunities.

The Esquimalt resident ran on the left-wing Jointly Victoria ticket and completed seventh in the race for eight seats. He did not reply for remark.

Judging by the response of offended and let down citizens in early 2021, a second term was considerably from certain. That is due to the fact Dubow brought himself widespread media attention as just one of several Canadian politicians who disobeyed pandemic general public overall health orders and travelled during the 2020 Xmas season.

Dubow flew to his homeland, Somalia, and to begin with claimed the vacation was his initially to East Africa given that fleeing civil war in 1992. He experienced Tweeted in December 2019 about traveling to Ethiopia, and claimed at the time it was his first check out there considering the fact that 2001.

As a substitute of answering a Moments Colonist reporter’s pandemic travel questionnaire on Jan. 5, 2021, Dubow exposed on Fb that he had entered 14-day quarantine at a Vancouver hotel the former day right after returning from Somalia. “I know now that I need to not have absent,” Dubow reported, apologizing to Victorians.

That sparked a flurry of e-mails and texts from more than 100 citizens by the stop of Jan. 6, 2021.

“Ontario’s Rod Phillips resigned as finance minister Thursday after returning from a Caribbean vacation. You really should way too.” explained just one of the anonymized messages, acquired through a liberty of information and facts request.

A widespread topic was individual sacrifice.

“I hope this excursion was value it,” wrote one more. “With your impending unemployment you will have tons of time to go and visit your family. I have not noticed my loved ones all calendar year due to the fact they are dealing with COVID people.”

Yet another emailer stated: “My loved ones did not get collectively this Xmas. My grandmother is 100 years outdated and acquiring weak. This might have been her previous Xmas, but we manufactured the tough selection to stick to public health suggestions.”

Dubow missing an additional emailer’s assist: “Just to put your behaviour into point of view, my daughter gave beginning to my first grandchild a couple times prior to Xmas. From the time she was a tiny lady, I experienced promised her I would be by her side when she had her to start with little one. Alternatively, I was pursuing health orders and remaining dwelling.”

Sense of betrayal was yet another concept.

“I voted for you, and questioned my close friends and family to do the very same,” wrote a girl who claimed she was the daughter of a refugee and experienced black spouse and children users in a place that was censored.

She advised Dubow’s voyage could have set scarce health care materials and the overall health of Africans at risk. “We have lifted countless numbers of bucks to assist COVID reaction in sub-Saharan Africa, via [censored]. I are unable to wrap my head about what you did.”

A individual message reported, “People took to heart when you arrived listed here and people supported you to try to make your daily life improved, to aid have interaction in your new neighborhood. In fact, they claimed, we are going to aid you to run for city council!”

Wrote another: “I voted for you in the past election and I am really, incredibly upset in your actions. Is this the thanks Canadians get for supporting you in your new residence. I am a senior and do not appreciate having you and other Canadian politicians like yourself who experience there Is a person rule for by themselves and a single rule for the relaxation of us.”

Yet another texter, proclaiming to be a Dubow supporter, advised he resign straight away, operate yet again in 2022, and “then allow the voters choose if your sense of obligation was enough to assuage them.”

He only received a few unconditional aid e-mail. One prompt Dubow aided generate work opportunities. “There ought to be no disgrace in safe journey.”

A person from Cloverdale provided sympathy for Dubow in his journey to see household “in a perilous land ravaged by civil war.”

“I’m sorry that the mayor of Victoria is just not supporting you, but please know that I & some others are.”

Victoria Mayor Lisa Aids explained all council customers “should be exemplary purpose products,” but they answer to the general public, not just about every other. “The following actions are remaining in his fingers,” she reported on Jan. 6, 2021.

In accordance to a Jan. 25, 2021, poll by Investigate Co., 61% of B.C. respondents agreed that politicians who travelled through the holiday year really should resign or deal with a remember vote.