Dhalla lied, nanny advocate testifies

OTTAWA, May 14 (UPI) -- Canadian politician Ruby Dhalla lied when she said she did not oversee three allegedly abused Filipina nannies, a caregivers' advocate said Thursday.

"This is one of those occasions when I wish the childhood story of Pinocchio was true," said Agatha Mason, the executive director of Intercede, a Toronto support group for immigrant caregivers.

On Tuesday, Dhalla said her brother, Neil Dhalla, employed and supervised the women and she told the committee that when Mason called her at her Ottawa office, she redirected the call to her brother.

"In fact, it was the opposite," Mason told the House of Commons immigration committee Thursday. "I had a conversation with her brother and I was directed to her."

Mason testified her later phone conversation with Dhalla to retrieve personal documents of nanny Richelyn Tongson was unpleasant, The Globe and Mail reported.

"I gave her clear directions that she was breaking the law and she has 24 hours in which to return the documents. I remember that clearly," Mason said. "And, as far as I remember, the documents were returned the following day."

Tongson testified Tuesday Dhalla took her passport, birth certificate and marriage license and that she got the documents back only after the outside agency intervened.

The caregivers allege they were hired in February 2008 by the high-profile Liberal Parliament member to care for her mother in her Mississauga home, but were then mistreated.

They claim they worked unpaid overtime and were forced to wash cars, shovel snow, shine shoes and clean the home of Dhalla's cousin.

Mason said they also "had to sit on the floor," at the Dhallas' feet, when watching TV.