THE QUESTION IS WHEN

Enough of commenting on rules of engagement.  It reminds me of family life and of children at home. 

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"When you  come home at night and close the door behind you,your home is your refuge. 

Here is where you need to know you will not be sandbagged, way-laid, back-stabbed or betrayed. 

The family is your greatest asset." 

That little lecture would be adapted to age of the listener but the meaning was always the same.

Repetition over years illustrated the continued need to remind.Seven siblings require a variety of rules and pleadings but they are all still friends and never part without expressing mutual affection. Spouses have joined the circle. And cousins. They all do the same. It's a family tradition. Something must have percolated from me to them. 

Be that as it may, I do enjoy clean and bloodless thrust and parry of a battle of wits. Politics is my bag. 

I'm pleased to have lived long enough to become my own publisher, however small my readership. 

Speaking of which, in a half century of involvement In town affairs, I never needed help in a fight, legal or otherwise. I held my own. 

A local lawyer once filed a notice of intent to complain. I  counter-filed with notice of intent to defend. 

He had been informed that I said his services should not have been retained. 

I had told a group, a lawyer was not needed to bring a concern forward and that Council was their advocate. 

Mayor John  West was there.  He asked that I go with him to the lawyer and state the fact of the matter. I did. That was was the end of it. 

Litigation against Morris et al is a different matter. 

Public trust and resources were used to retain a lawyer to write a complaint under the Code of Conduct . 

Legislation does not permit a Council to file a complaint. Lawyer John Mascarain so advised,after he accepted the retainer. 

Subsequently Councillor Wilson signed a statement of complaint written by the lawyer.

On July 29th , staff  were directed by the six who endorsed the complaint, to publish the statement in two local newspapers and on the town web site. Councillor Gaertner read the statement as part of a resolution at a council meeting.  It was entered into the public record where it still resides. It was broadcast on Cable T.V. 

Two  local lawyers notified me  publication of the statement  was defamatory. 

I did not visit a doctor nor a phsychaitrist or any other kind of therapist.

Legal services were used to destroy my reputation. Legal services had to be used to respond. There was no other remedy. 

I consulted a lawyer, accepted his advice and notice of  intent to litigate was filed. Notice of litigation followed.

A year later, three residents were sued by the Town's Mayor for defamation using town resources to 

process the litigation.,

When a new council was elected, a full- page advertisement was purchased in the media containing an apology from the town to the three residents. Two had defended themselves successfully. 

 

Early In December 2013, a jury trial of my action commenced. It was a long trial. Days before Christmas, all that remained was for the Judge to instruct the jury. 

Instead ,the jury was dismissed .To that point the trial was public. 

Subsequently ,by written communication, permission was granted to the defendants to submit a new defence.

Nineteen months after the jury was dismissed, the ruling is still pending. 

For six years, I have followed legal  advice not to comment . 

As a Council member, I did not participate in 2014 ,when insurance premium increases were presented. 

I declared  a Conflict of Interest when defence costs of  $850,000  were disclosed by a Vice President of the insurance company attending  Council by invitation .

The Mayor and Councillor Abel declared  the cause of the expenditure was my pursuit of  a multi-million dollar jackpot.   In other words, I was motivated by greed. 

 July 29- 2009 defamation was legislated against me in a council meeting.

Immediately prior to the 2014 election campaign Mayor Dawe and Councilor Abel did much the same thing. 

July 2015 . it is still my story to tell. The end is in sight.