Skullduggery II

A reader has asked about the "leak" and "investigation" that followed at the end of last year What was the upshot and what did it cost??

The matter arose from a story which appeared in The Auroran that Council had turned down an offer to purchase land by York Region Police for the purpose of relocating Central Headquarters. It would have been a spectacular building housing eight hundred of the best-paying jobs in York Region. The decision was made on September 11Th The story appeared in November. After it appeared it seemed everybody but me had known for ages the plan was in the works.

Yet it seemed the Mayor and others were sure a heinous crime of "leaking" had been perpetrated and they sought to discover the culprit They retained George Rust D'Eye a former city solicitor to follow the trail.

The Mayor apparently had asked Mr. Rust D'Eye to attend council . After opening the meeting she introduced Mr.Rust D'Eye, then refused to answer a question as to his purpose Immediately she declared an emergency meeting and council trooped into the back room to examine the entrails.

All except the Mayor and Mr. Rust D' Eye. He was introduced to myself. He asked had I retained legal counsel ,said he had read numbers of emails and letters to the editor I had written and floated the idea I should not attend the in-camera meeting due to a vague reference to conflict-of-interest. It didn't seem like particularly useful advice. I went anyway.

Mr. Rust D'Eyehas had two consultations with council and obviously others with the Mayor,the nature of which have not been revealed. He advised his final report was solicitor-client privilege and could not be released. It was circulated , then collected . There has not since been even a whispered reference to his findings. What I can reveal is that neither Rust D'Eye nor anyone else ever inquired of myself or The Auroran as to the source of "the leak".

I suspect the purpose was a political exercise to divert attention from the awful truth. Counci, on a split vote, did in fact turn down the opportunity to have York Regional Police Headquarters locate here with all the economic advantage that entailed..

In my opinion , it was an error in judgement of gargantuan proportions. The reasons given being so puerile as to defy logic completely.

The rule calls for decisions made behind closed doors to be publicly reported . Thus far it has not happened.

I am currently awaiting a response to my inquiry about the legal cost of the boondoggle

Stay tuned.