Ethics and behaviour – Page 19

We Need a Different Integrity Commissioner

2015-04-22 2015-04-23 Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviourOne Comment

Monday night’s council meeting again underscored why the town needs someone new in the role of integrity commissioner. Lawyer Robert Swayze presented his report about a complaint filed against councillor Deb Doherty and it was accepted by council in a recorded 6-2 vote*. But his report shared the same flaws his previous report about former Deputy Mayor Lloyd had, and kudos to the two (mayor Cooper and Coun. Lloyd) for rejecting it. The IC’s report was presented to the public (and thus to the media) before it was presented to the council member (Doherty) about whom it had been made. The … click below for more ↓

Cold Camembert, Collingwood Style

2015-04-10 2015-04-10 Canadian Politics / Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / Municipal Politics / Politics5 Comments

Conservative Senator Nancy Ruth made comments last week about how awful it is to eat normal airplane food as an excuse why she billed more sumptuous meals to her taxpayer-funded expense account. Cold camembert and broken crackers, she whined, were not acceptable breakfast fare for the likes of a Senator. As the NatPost quoted her: “There are a couple of times when my assistant put in for a breakfast when I was on a plane, and they say I should have not claimed because I should have eaten that breakfast… Those breakfasts are pretty awful. If you want ice-cold Camembert with broken crackers, … click below for more ↓

Abdicating Responsibility

2015-04-04 2015-04-04 Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviourLeave a comment

Collingwood Council has, in its short time in office, abdicated much of its responsibility to the business of government and to the people of this town. Council has sloughed off the duties they were elected to shoulder with remarkable alacrity. Some of that responsibility landed on staff, who assumed control of the budget process and drive most of the initiatives that come to the table. But some of it is being passed along to un-elected residents. It began early on when this council decided not to put a council representative on the BIA Board of Management. This way, no one can … click below for more ↓

Email and Confidentiality

2015-03-14 2015-03-14 Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviourOne Comment

A story in this week’s Connection titled “Private talk with CAO leads to Collingwood integrity commissioner complaint” sparked the following comment. No, this is not about what strikes me as the unethical and secretive behaviour of the councillor in question and his defending that behaviour in the media as if the town’s Code of Conduct did not state at its outset that all members of council (emphasis added): …are held to a high standard as leaders of the community and they are expected to become well informed on all aspects of municipal governance, administration, planning and operations. They are also expected to carry out … click below for more ↓