"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Thursday 13 August 2009

A Clarification.

In the flurry of comments, answers to questions and the normal to and fro interaction with the media when there's a news story on hand, an impression may have been conveyed that I received a confidential document directly from the Town's Integrity Commissioner. It is a mis-statement.

It is my responsibility to correct it.

The Integrity Commissioner's Report was provided to me through the Office of the Director of Corporate Services as required by Provincial Statute and the Town's Code of Conduct and witnessed by the CBC reporter and cameraman who accompanied me to the Town Hall and waited for several hours , on my second attempt to obtain what was rightfully mine.

Considering I had previously been unable to wrest it from their fevered grip , I came to the brilliant conclusion all by myself, the decision had not found favour with Mighty Mayor and I freely speculated as to that likelihood.

Well yes, I think I can be excused for taking a modicum of pleasure in the outcome of their endeavour

Frankly....I chortled.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Just letting you know that I sympathize with what you're going through. (I'm covering MIssissauga Council governance in my Blog at mississaugawatch.ca and I know what goes on in municipalities.)

I've been filing Freedom of Information since February 2007 and dredged up a plethora of municipal staff emails and documents that reveal in no uncertain terms how local government operates.

Regarding the accusation leveled against you by Mayor Phyllis Morris about your “completely unmerited public criticism of staff in a manner that unjustifiably maligned their professional competence and credibility' as you must surely know, those allegations are easily proved or disproved.

File Freedom of Information on STAFF competence and credibility (as I have in Mississauga)!

As for that Integrity Commissioner report, in your Blog you wrote, “The Integrity Commissioner's Report was provided to me through the Office of the Director of Corporate Services as required by Provincial Statute and the Town's Code of Conduct and witnessed by the CBC reporter”.

Question. Why all the circumnavigation? You surely know that all you needed to do was file Freedom of Information (something like) “All records (emails, documents, letters, Post It notes, paper napkin scribblings, audio recordings etc) pertaining to the Integrity Commissioner investigation requested by Mayor Phyllis Morris from (date) to (date).”

And also to gauge what nefarious activities skulk around about you, you only needed to file Freedom of Information for “all personal records pertaining to me (emails, documents, letters, Post It notes, paper napkin scribblings, audio recordings etc) held by the Town of Aurora’s Corporate Services Department pertaining to me from (date) to (date)"

Frankly I’m surprised that you didn’t take that route. Sure you have to pay search fees, severance and photocopying but MY (as you know) what you can flush from the Corporate Bowels!

In addition, your Blog made reference to the secrecy of closed door meetings... That’s got me curious.

As you know, Aurora Council voted to deny its citizens “closed door” investigations conducted through the Ontario Ombudsman’s Office in favour of hiring Local Authority Services --which as you also know is a "branch" (subsidiary corporation) of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.

Question. How did you vote when it came time for Aurora Council to deny its citizens access to an independent closed door meeting investigation by their Ontario Ombudsman?

Ursula Bennett
MISSISSAUGAWATCH