Something Old... Something New

But not a marriage. Anything but.

Councillor MacEachern has acknowledged filing two complaints with the new Integrity Commissioner. She did not reveal her target.

I was asked if I am. I neither confirmed or denied.

But it's not my nature to be coy. So I won't.

Once again, Councillor MacEachern feels my conduct as a Councillor does not meet her standards and requires legal action to be taken against me ( not at her expense). and hopefully punishment meted out.

She has decided to go it alone, without legal advice paid for with taxpayers' money, except for the Integrity Commissioner , a lawyer of same six choosing. He is paid $3,600. a month from the town treasury.

We were told not to tell you that.

In any case, I did not agree to appoint a new Integrity Commissioner. I didn't agree to appoint the first one.

I do not agree with the Code of Conduct. The Bylaw requires each Councillor to sign two copies of the Code.

A Signature on an agreement, generally signify a signatory's agreement to the agreement.

Does the lack of a signature on an agreement signify no agreement?

I have not agreed to surrender my rights as a citizen or a Councillor.

I paid the fee and registered as a candidate in the last election.

I garnered enough votes to take a seat along with eight other members of Aurora Council.I received authority to speak for the people who elected me.

I swore an Oath of Office as required by Provincial legislation.

I know the conduct expected of me. I have done it many times before. It was never a burden. I might have found it re-assuring that every member of Council was taking the same oath to abide by the same rules.

I would have been disappointed.

Be that notwithstanding, I Swore the Oath willingly and of sound mind, in order to take my seat to a position of trust and authority.

I was not compelled.

I surrendered nothing.

Had this Council decided to bring in a law to burn witches at the stake, I would not have agreed. It was legal once. Not any more.

Once it was the law not to allow women to vote or own property. Not any more.

Even if the Province had allowed it, I would not have agreed.

It would be contrary to Rights and Freedoms enjoyed by all Canadians.

But on payment of $16,200, Council received solicitor/client advice behind closed doors, that the Province had given municipalities authority to pass laws to govern conduct of Councillors, including restricting a councillor's authority to speak on behalf the electors, with penalties, on pain of disobedience.

Well, Pshaw ....I don't agree with that. That's just silly.

So.... when I received the plain brown envelope containing two complaints from an Integrity Commissioner, chosen by the same six, who filed a previous complaint to a previous Integrity Commissioner, who dismissed it and was himself promptly dismissed by the same six, I just promptly forwarded the same to the same solicitor I retained at my expense ,when the same six filed a complaint against me, compiled by another solicitor retained by the same six at taxpayers' expense, unknown at this time but probably in the tens of thousands approaching a hundred thousand dollars and advertised in publications also at taxpayers' expense and the town's web site.

The matter is in the hands of my solicitor.