Toronto Council has voted against re-appointment of the city ombudsman.
They voted in favour of an in-camera decision on the matter.
It seems Ombudsman is just another name for Integrity Commissioner.
It's all very confusing.
Yesterday all municipl Councillors in Ontario received a very concerned communication from the Association of Municipalities. The Province it seems is proceeding with legislation requiring municipalities to appoint Ombudsman.
FAilure to do so means the Ontario Ombudsman will have jurisdiction.
AMO was apparently previously assured by the province ,they would be consulted before a Bill would be passed.
Andre Marin was on television recently expounding his rational for including municipalities
within his jurisdiction.
Strong men quiver at the prospect.
Of course it requires greater expense for every Ontario municipality
There are 440 municipalities in the Province. It's understood twenty-nine have
IntegrityCommissioners on contract.
A retainer fee is paid plus an hourly rate to investigate if a complaint is filed.
Municipalities are currently required to have Investigative Services on contract to deal with complaints against municipal business being inappropriately dealt with behind closed doors.
Can't say if Aurora ever had a complaint. Doesn't matter. The service is still required by law.
An important difference between mandatory ombudsman legislation and permissive integrity commissioner legislation is the Ombudsman independence will be established and confidentiality will protect potential targets from political chicanery.
It means a complaint cannot be read into the public record of a Council meeting.
It can't be published in several newspapers at public expense.
It can't be posted on the municipality's World Wide Web site.
An ombudsman could never be fired if he didn't do as he's told by political bosses with wholly political motive.
And of course, libel and slander litigation could not result from abuse of the process.
Now there's a job to kill for......
ReplyDeleteThe existing legislation is already a can of worms & they propose to make it more cumbersome ? I have been trying to work out if that councillor in TO who just got his pay docked is covered by city insurance to sue the city.
ReplyDeleteI can see why Toronto rejected the re-appointment. They do not want to remove the publicity that they generate with a complaint. Besides Marin is a perfect example of nonsense. He called one city, maybe Sudbury ?, the worst because they refused to even talk to him.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIn a letter to the editor in this week's Auroran Catherine Marshall concludes her letter as follows:
"On the more positive cause of filling this seat for a short time is the election of former Aurora Councillor Chris Ballard, now Liberal MPP who will surely do Newmarket-Aurora proud, Notably, as a first time elected, he has been chosen for a Parliamentary Assistant position to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. I join the people's majority in wishing him all the best."
It should be noted that the Liberals, with 58 seats and a Cabinet of 27, are virtually assuring the entire caucus a Cabinet post or that of a Parliamentary Assistant.
Of equal interest is the fact that the Minister of Government and Consumer Services, David Orazietti, when first elected in 2003, was similarly named as a Parliamentary Assistant.
So it seems that the practice is rather common and does not in and of itself carry a connotation of any particular achievement.
But we, nevertheless, offer Mr. Ballard our best wishes as he represents us.
@19:32
ReplyDeleteNot if he votes for Integrity Czars.
@19:32
ReplyDeleteShe was a pom-pom shaker for Morris.
Ombudsman, Integrity commissioners,
ReplyDeleteCodes of Conduct, Codes of Ethics, inquiries, police investigations, all smoke and mirror BS. Not a single politician in jail and never will be.
21:25, the former mayor of New Orleans just got 10 years.
ReplyDeleteI think that you will find that Ombudsman and Interigty Commisioner are NOT the same thing.
ReplyDeleteOMBUDSMAN
1. a government official who hears and investigates complaints by private citizens against other officials or government agencies.
2. a person who investigates and attempts to resolve complaints and problems, as between employees and an employer or between students and a university.
Why is the South East district BS coming back to council.MOVE ON.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see what Ballard does with this issue. Will he be a Liberal who will just tow the line? Or a Liberal with integrity?
ReplyDelete@21:25
ReplyDeleteThere is a liberal senator who was/maybe still is doing time.
The former mayor of London has a sentence hearing next week.
@1029
DeleteYou are referring to Liberal Senator Raymond Lavigne
convicted for fraudulent expenses
Amazing how not many know his name but sure know Tory Senators not convicted Walin and Duffy
Also not yet convicted is Liberal Senator Harb but how many know why
That ex Senator got 6 months. Who knows if he served the whole sentence....but he got to keep his $80000/yr pension. And who said fraud doesn't pay?
ReplyDelete12:32
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't all hearts & roses. He felt his life was threatened & applied for early parole. Was turned down because he had never admitted he was at fault & have no plans to serve his community service time that was still out-standing
Referring to Liberal Senator Ray Lavigne convicted for using 23k of senate funding for personal use ie Fraud
ReplyDelete