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A recent article in The Banner, indicated Mayor Phyllis Morris met with Municipal Affairs and Housing Ministry staff and offered input on the town’s experiences with creating a code of conduct and selecting an integrity commissioner.
Mayor Morris also stated,“They asked for my input also.” Does that imply that the Ministry initiated contact?
However, Municipal Affairs spokesperson Andrea Kelly said,“Municipal government is a mature level of government, but we’re always open and willing to listen to new ideas.”
Mayor Morris indicated they asked. The Municipal Affairs spokesperson indicated they listened.
For those who really care about openness and transparency, Andrea Kelly is the Media Relations Coordinator within Issues Management of the Communications Branch of Municipal Affairs.
Did Municipal Affairs really solicit her advice as implied, or did she contact them herself and they simply listened politely?
Wouldn't it be interesting to know what senior policy advisor she actually met with that was so interested in her advice on hiring and firing Integrity Commissioners. Or was someone just being polite to a local politician?
We wonder if you could get a straight yes or no from Mayor Morris on who called who, and who she spoke to. Or is she twisting words and facts to lead people to inaccurate conclusions?
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3 comments:
Funny this comes from a previous York Region news article
“
The fact the ministry is following the events unfolding in Aurora comes as news to Mayor Phyllis Morris. It's unclear why the ministry would take an interest, Mrs. Morris said, adding she's remaining focused on the positives.
"Many of us are working so hard on the positive things that we haven't had time to focus on the negative," she said.
With that in mind, Mrs. Morris said she may speak to Municipal Affairs Ministry staff to get a better idea of its interest in the town.
“
http://www.yorkregion.com/News/Aurora/article/96049
From the latest article
“
“They asked for my input also,” Mrs. Morris said. “Many municipalities would benefit from the lessons we’ve learned.”
Codes of conduct and integrity commissioners remain relative rarities in Ontario, Mrs. Morris said, adding that, of the 444 municipalities in the province, just nine, to her knowledge, have them.
Aurora could help others, she said.
“
http://www.yorkregion.com/News/Aurora/article/96248
So, which side of her face is she talking out of now?
Was she called to the carpet by the Ministry to explain the IC fiasco? So, is she now trying to spin it that she was providing her "input" on the concept of an IC?
If so, forget about Walking Eagle and try Crawling Condor - and still an albatross around our necks until Nov. 2010!
p.s. I like Cllr Collins-Mrakas' ideas on the IC in that article.
It takes a big ego to make such a huge mess and then claim to be in a position to advise other municipalities across the province on how to conduct their affairs !
It would kind of be like sending George Bush to the Middle East at this stage as a peace envoy or asking Bernie Madoff for a really good stock tip as a result of his great past performance.
OK, I admit those are extreme examples, but I think that the point is made. We can learn from the mistakes of others but that does not mean we should then follow their lead going forward.
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