"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Monday 3 October 2011

What To Make Of It...

So now we know and it cost Mississauga taxpayers $6.5 million to find out. Without a shadow of a doubt, Hazel Mc Callion did everything she knew how, to help her son make millions in a real estate deal.Only he didn't.

A former city manager was fingered by Justice Cunningham for his part in the affair .

Will Don Cherry come out  once again to rally support for Hazel?

Will Carolyn Parrish get credit for being right?

Did  Hazel once again contribute to  Parish's  defeat in the by-election by telling voters she can't work with that woman?

Was  it all  for the good of  Mississuaga ?

Or was it plain old-fashioned human greed ?

Hazel has said, she will not apologise and she will not resign.

Justice Cunningham  says he is saddened and recommends the Province pass new stricter rules for  municipal politicians. 

Like we see stuff like that every day. Municipal politicians in the way of making millions with a word in the right place and unable to resist the temptation ?

Like the Province is doing anything now to enforce  regulations already on the books.

In the  wake of the computer scandal inquiry that cost Toronto $13 million , Provincial knee -jerk reaction was to  pass regulations permitting municipalities to adopt a Code Of Conduct.

And look how that was used.

I guess Justice Cunningham isn't aware, it takes a citizen to retain a lawyer at his own expense  to file a Conflict of Interest charge against a politician who clearly and openly uses a position of trust to influence  a decision  for personal benefit.

A feature was done on Hazel, where she revealed she  prays every morning.

Now what are we to make of it all ?

The story should take the heat off Rob Ford for a bit,   The Toronto media are as eager to make a  black-hearted devil  out of  Ford, as they were to make a Saint out of  Hazel.

We shall  see how the story unfolds.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not sure how you fall with regard to Hazel but it doesn't matter.

The province created legislation to allow municipalities to appoint and use an integrity commissioner. You have stated a number of times that Aurora does not need one. This is proof that it does and every municipality should have one. If Hazel can be corrupt, anyone can.

She was found guilty and should be striped of her office.

Anonymous said...

Morris to pay costs.

Anonymous said...

It does indeed take a citizen to retain a lawyer at his or her or their own expense to either defend against abusive and defamatory charges arising from blatant conflicts of interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act of the province of Ontario or to bring charge(s) against the politician under the Act who initiated the legal action in the first place.

We don't have to go all the way to Mississauga or to Toronto to wade in the quagmire of conflicts. We have our very own "made in Aurora" version right here in our community.

And we are soon approaching the first anniversary of the Thanksgiving suit against three Aurora residents.

Should we all feel sanctified to learn that Hazel prays every morning or that our town's first Annual Prayer Breakfast was established by the former?

Oh, hypocrisy. wherefore art thou?

Anonymous said...

Just wait...new evidence is surfacing.

A local twist soon to be revealed.

veritas said...

It would seem that Ms. McCallion is as determined to absolve herself of any wrong doing as our own ex-mayor is. They are an ilk unto themselves. No matter what decision is made by reputable people in positions of authority, they consider themselves exempt from rulings and opinions. That's a dangerous breed if ever there was one!
We lived in western Canada for 5 years and came upon a politician out there - a deputy mayor in fact - who was also a real estate agent. It did not take much of a fool to realise that many of his listings were on behalf of residents who would be affected by changes in zoning and who desired to sell and get out before the axe fell. In my opinion, this was totally unethical and should never have been permitted. In the same way, McCallion's son who makes his living from development in Mississauga, should never have been permitted to engage in ANY of the proceedings that may have lead to her son't profiting. There are certain business professions and involvement that are just NOT compatible and someone should draw the lines where this may be in doubt. Perceived conflict of interest is just as damning as real conflict of interest and after 30 some years onf being a mayor, you would have thought she would have learned that by now! But hey! Phyllis was in council for 12 years and she didn't learn a damned thing either, did she?

Anonymous said...

So long as this isn't "Operation Twist" - the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest misnomer for curing the pandemic of ills raging through that country's economy.

Perchance it has to do with municipal politics, our municipal politics.

Perhaps the former is going to be faced with a bill.

Now wouldn't that be refreshing for a change?

Sort of a first anniversary present in honour of Thanksgiving. How droll!