The Sudbury Star runs a poll every week and this week's question
was “what is your top priority for the provincial election?
Options were job creation, health care, honest government,
fixing infrastructure, social spending and balancing the budget.
The top selected option was honest
government, with over double the number of people selecting the
next most popular choices, namely job creation and balancing the
budget. It is interesting to note that health care and fixing
infrastructure were well down in the selections. Of particular
interest is that social spending was way down at the bottom with
very few selecting this as the top choice.
Even on a local level, with respect to the
municipal election coming up in October, as I discuss priorities
with the people living in Valley East, they are telling me that
they want a chance to vote for City Councillors who have
demonstrated that they will be honest, open, transparent and
accountable. These qualities seem to be much more important than
promises from candidates to fix infrastructure, keep taxes low,
repair our roads and build arenas. It is actually quite
heartwarming to see such a movement towards selecting leaders
with leadership qualities that are the kind of qualities you
would expect to find in "good people" rather than simply
selecting the people with the most lawn signs, the best
advertisements or the most attractive web sites.
The issue of integrity is raised often as
people discuss the incident involving the Provincial Ombudsman,
Andre Marin. From my own standpoint, it shouldn't matter who the
ombudsman is. The ombudsman is a person who occupies a position
of responsibility that includes the investigation of complaints
from the public about government services. I personally welcome
an ombudsman who is available to oversee the activities of the
City Council so that the public can be satisfied that we are
transparent and accountable. We should have nothing to hide as
Councillors. We know the rules.
But I think this has become somewhat of a
public personality conflict between existing Councillors and
Andre Marin. I would like to think we will go back to having the
provincial ombudsman because it may not cost as much, but
whether it is Andre Marin or someone else doesn't matter.
Perhaps the 2014 Election will be
different. Perhaps this will be the election where voters cast
their ballot for people they really know and really trust on
City Council. If so, it will go a long way to restoring
confidence in our local governance and perhaps put an end to the
character assassinations that have become commonplace in
elections lately.
INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER REPORT - Dated June 3, 2014
Presented to City Council on June 10, 2014
PROCEDURE BY-LAW - Applicable to City Council
Procedure By-Law Amendments:
2012-18
2012-131
2012-168
Sunshine Law Handbook
Ontario Ombudsman
