Bill 9 passed third reading in Ontario and will become law after receiving royal assent. The Municipal Accountability Act passed 110 to 1, with Bobbi Ann Brady voting against. The bill standardizes codes of conduct across municipalities and allows removal and disqualification for serious violations. A local integrity commissioner must investigate misconduct allegations and, if removal is warranted, refer the matter to Ontario’s integrity commissioner for review. If the Ontario watchdog recommends removal, the case returns to local council for a decision within 30 days. Removal requires a unanimous vote of council members not named in the complaint. The bill aims to address misconduct including sexual harassment, discrimination, and ethics abuses ahead of the Oct. 26 municipal elections.
"Ontario's Bill 9, which cracks down on misbehaving municipal politicians, passed third reading at Queen's Park on Tuesday and is on its way to becoming law. The Municipal Accountability Act passed handily by a vote of 110 to one. It must receive royal assent from the lieutenant governor before coming into effect. The Independent MPP for Haldimand Norfolk, Bobbi Ann Brady, registered the only vote against the bill."
"Introduced by Municipal Affairs Minister Rob Flack, Bill 9 standardizes codes of conduct across Ontario municipalities, and gives them the power to remove and disqualify from office members who are found to be in serious violation. The bill requires a local integrity commissioner to investigate misconduct allegations. If that person believes a breach of the code of conduct warrants a politician's removal, the case will be passed on to Ontario's integrity commissioner for review."
"If that watchdog also recommends removal, the case would be passed back to the local council for a decision within 30 days. A councillor could only be removed by a unanimous vote of all council members who are not a subject of the complaint. Municipal politicians and staff have for years been asking for legislative tools to deal with allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and ethics abuses."
"The province took the bill on the road last summer to gather feedback and pledged to have the new law in place ahead of the next round of municipal elections on Oct. 26. One example of a case where this law could have been applied is that of former Ottawa city councillor Rick Chiarelli. CBC News has reported extensively on allegations of harassment of women on Chiarelli's staff."
#ontario-politics #municipal-accountability #codes-of-conduct #integrity-commissioners #councillor-removal
Read at www.cbc.ca
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