Ontario councillor gets severe pay penalty as Pickering wants stronger recourse

A councillor successful a confederate Ontario metropolis has been issued a 90-day wage suspension – the astir terrible punishment imaginable nether existent rules – aft the municipality’s integrity commissioner recovered she has been demonstrating a continued signifier of “unacceptable behaviour” that risks hurting marginalized members of society.

It’s the latest successful a bid of penalties levelled against Coun. Lisa Robinson of Pickering, Ont., and a concern that the politician has said underscores the request for changes to the province’s Municipal Act to let stricter sanctions, up to the removal of a councillor from office.

Robinson, for her part, denied the integrity commissioner’s findings, called his study “full of lies” and accused the assembly of conducting a “witch hunt” against her.

The concern successful Pickering, a metropolis eastbound of Toronto, is 1 that has been processing since past year.

The city’s politician said helium isn’t optimistic Robinson’s latest wage suspension – her 3rd since past September – volition person overmuch of an impact.

“I anticipation that the distraction of Coun. Robinson’s behaviour volition hopefully beryllium enactment successful the rearview mirror. I’m not assured that volition happen,” Kevin Ashe said successful a telephone interview.

“Our way guardant is cloudy.”

The politician and councillors wrote a missive past period urging Premier Doug Ford and the municipal affairs curate to adjacent what they telephone “a glaring loophole” successful the Municipal Act by strengthening sanctions that tin beryllium levelled against councillors who prosecute successful harmful actions, including the imaginable for removal from office.

“I deliberation it should beryllium a legislative priority,” said Ashe.

“I’m hopeful that the curate and the authorities will, successful abbreviated order, bash thing truthful that councils person a stronger instrumentality to woody with this egregious behaviour.”

Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra has said helium wants to consult much and question proposal from the province’s integrity commissioner earlier tabling legislation.

Robinson, meanwhile, said immoderate metropolis authoritative who asks for changes to the Municipal Act should measurement down, saying it would barroom “dissenting opinion.”

“If the constituents don’t similar what I person to accidental oregon however I’m representing them, past the determination volition beryllium up to them during the adjacent election,” she said successful a telephone interview.

Robinson, who was elected successful 2022, archetypal received a 30-day wage suspension successful September 2023 aft societal media posts identifying immoderate Pickering residents triggered an integrity commissioner probe for cyberbullying and intimidation. She was past condemned by assembly for referring to herself arsenic a “modern time slave” arsenic a effect of the docked pay.

In October past year, she received a 60-day wage suspension aft different probe by the integrity commissioner into remarks she made astir resistance queen communicative clip events, cosmopolitan washrooms and the raising of Pride flags. The commissioner recovered Robinson had “promoted attitudes which are homophobic and transphobic,” which she denied.

In November 2023, she suggested successful a societal media station that the inclusion of an LGBTQ+ advocacy enactment successful the city’s Santa Claus parade would beryllium inappropriate for children. In February, she wrote an op-ed denouncing Black History Month.

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Those nationalist comments were among what formed the ground of the latest ailment investigated by the integrity commissioner, which was based connected concerns from the public, the politician and chap councillors.

The ailment elaborate aggregate allegations of Robinson’s breaches of the council’s codification of conduct, including respective societal media posts that allegedly showed a “lack of respect” for the commissioner and the council, and op-eds penned by Robinson that allegedly “erode nationalist trust.”

The commissioner’s study recovered that Robinson refused to admit the interaction of her actions, and that they “demonstrate an arrogant self-righteousness” seldom seen successful municipal leaders.

Robinson came nether occurrence again past period aft councillors condemned her for appearing successful an online amusement they said promoted hatred code and extremist views.

The politician and different councillors said she appeared connected the Kevin J. Johnston amusement hosted connected Rumble, which they called a “far-right video platform.” They said the amusement big called councillors “pedophiles” and “Nazis” and said they “deserve a shot bat to the face,” asserting Robinson smiled oregon nodded.

Robinson said she has denounced the host’s comments and apologized to her colleagues.

She criticized the commissioner’s latest study and said she has “much support” from constituents.

“I americium virtually OK with a wage suspension. I knew it was coming, due to the fact that I cognize however vindictive the councillors are that I enactment with,” she said.

“I wouldn’t adjacent dainty an force the mode that they treated me.”

Ashe, for his part, said helium hopes the aboriginal brings amended discourse.

“Never successful my wildest dreams would I deliberation that this would hap successful my city,” helium said.