"WHEREAS, all Ontarians deserve and expect a safe and respectful workplace;
WHEREAS, municipal governments, as the democratic institutions most directly engaged with Ontarians need respectful discourse; and,
WHEREAS, several incidents in recent years of disrespectful behaviour and workplace harassment have occurred amongst members of municipal councils; and,
WHEREAS, these incidents seriously and negatively affect the people involved and lower public perceptions of local governments; and,
WHEREAS, municipal Codes of Conduct are helpful tools to set expectations of council member behaviour; and,
WHEREAS, municipal governments do not have the necessary tools to adequately enforce compliance with municipal Codes of Conduct; and
WHEREAS Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) support the efforts of MPP Stephen Blais; and, who has introduced the Private Members Bill 5, Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act, 2022 which has been endorsed by a number of OBCM member councils;
WHEREAS a fundamental, underlying principle of broadening diversity, equity and inclusion in politics rests on the assumption that the workplace is safe; and,
WHEREAS we believe that municipal elected officials should be held to account in this way, we also believe that federal and provincial elected officials should take similar actions to hold themselves to account;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
1. OBCM supports the call of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for the Government of Ontario to introduce legislation to strengthen municipal Codes of Conduct and compliance with them in consultation with municipal governments or in the alternative, OBCM supports the province ordering Bill 5 for second reading to expedite this matter; and,
2. THAT legislation encompass the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s recommendations for:
a. Updating municipal Codes of Conduct to account for workplace safety and harassment
b. Creating a flexible administrative penalty regime, adapted to the local economic and financial circumstances of municipalities across Ontario
c. Increasing training of municipal Integrity Commissioners to enhance consistency of investigations and recommendations across the province
d. Allowing municipalities to apply to a member of the judiciary to remove a sitting member if recommended through the report of a municipal Integrity
Commissioner
e. Prohibit a member so removed from sitting for election in the term of removal and the subsequent term of office; and.
3. THAT OBCM requests that municipalities and their respective Integrity Commissioners be consulted on the development of any regulations related to the proposed legislation; and.
4. THAT this motion be circulated to the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, the Honourable David Lamettithe, Minister of Justice, the Honourable Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Kate Manson-Smith, Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Scott Pearce, Federation of Canadian Municipalities Acting President, and Colin Best, President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario."