The Tale End

Reaction to Mr. Rust D'Eye's advice when presented to Council behind closed doors on May 6th 2008, was surprising and revealing.

"Is that it" Councillor MacEachern said. "Our reputations are seriously damaged and that's all you have to give us?"

It was clear, after all was said and done, The Auroran story about turning down the Regional Police Headquarters for Aurora had not been the problem.

I had made a comment about cheques being issued to half a dozen residents of Knowles Crescent .
The town had spent a million dollars constructing to urban standard a small crescent of forty-five homes It was beautiful. There were complaints. Councillor MacEachern took over and five or six people received cheques, one for $10ks, to complete driveways in the style to which they were accustomed.

I said with all the strength of my conviction: "If I voted for that I would consider myself in breach of my Oath of Office."

Mr Rust D'Eye was clearly astonished by the reaction to his presentation. His advice was substantive, he insisted.

It was interesting to watch. Had I realised at the time, Mr. Rust D'Eye's report had been submitted five months earlier, the spontaneity of the outrage would have surprised me too.

As it was, the "crisis" of November 13th suddenly became clear.

Remember... the Mayor refused to state the purpose of the emergency requiring a closed session.

I refused to be persuaded not to attend the closed session.

That was a couple of things that happened which were not planned.

My being there obviously made it awkward to talk about the real issue. They had to feint.

When Mr. Rust D'Eye completed his presentation, on May 6th, Morris ,MacEachern and Gaertner were the ones in a tizzy.

The beans were spilled. The issue had been about damage to their professional reputations. The Mayor was doubly concerned because she bore her husband's name and his reputation was also at stake.

When I asked later for legal costs of the services rendered ,they were provided promptly and without question.

The current invoices totalled $16,200.

There was a press conference later with Mr. Rust D'Eye present and reference by the Mayor to $4ks for assistance in writing the Code of Conduct.

So what have we learned:

The emergency meeting was not about damage to the municipality caused by a leak from a closed meeting.

There was no damage to the municipality.

It was not about protecting privacy of an individual.

Politics are not about privacy.

It was not about any of the exceptions that allow public business to be conducted behind closed doors.

It was about settling political scores with a lawyer paid for from the public purse.

Much the same as two lawyers retained for two years, to fail to prove wrong-doing against the town's former Mayor, the current Mayor's erstwhile political rival.

Now I think that tale is ended.