Blais urges all MPPs to vote in favour of Bill 10 to hold municipal leaders accountable
“Surely everyone can agree that there are some actions so egregious, such as workplace violence and harassment, that would warrant losing your job,” says Blais. “This is a non-partisan issue, which I hope will pass so we can help stop this from happening, particularly to women who simply want to do their job free of harassment and violence.”
The Bill, if passed, would permit municipalities to direct the Integrity Commissioner to apply to the court to vacate a member’s seat for failing to comply with the municipalities workplace violence or harassment policies.
The Bill, if passed, would permit municipalities to direct the Integrity Commissioner to apply to the court to vacate a member’s seat for failing to comply with the municipalities workplace violence or harassment policies.
“Bill 10 is a crucial and immediate first step towards ensuring accountability and the safety of women working in politics ahead of the next municipal election,” says Nancy O’Brien, a victim of sexual harassment at the City of Ottawa.
In March 2021, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario recommended to the Government of Ontario changes that would allow for the removal from office by a member of the Judiciary on the recommendation of an Integrity Commissioner where a report has found serious and/or repeated breaches of Codes of Conduct.
This is the precise mechanism that is included in Bill 10.
“That you can commit, as Ottawa’s Integrity Commissioner put it, ‘incomprehensible incidents of harassment’ and continue to hold a position of power should not be the kind of message we should be sending”, says Stephanie Dobbs, also a victim of sexual harassment at the City of Ottawa.
There have been serious cases across Ontario in recent years where municipal elected officials have abused their power and used their role to sexual harass and/or abuse their staff or others. In these cases, the most severe penalty that can be imposed on a municipal councillor is the suspension of pay for 90 days. There are ongoing cases in Ottawa, Brampton, Barrie, Mississauga, and countless others throughout history.
“There must be more severe penalties for leaders who violate workplace violence and harassment policies to help deter these heinous acts,” adds Blais. “Harassment and violence have no place in society, including in the workplace, and certainly no business around the municipal council table.”
Blais first introduced the
“Seeing the lack of response from our government makes me lose faith in our institutions. Bill 10 is a start to taking concrete steps to demonstrate that these types of abuses will not be tolerated and that there will be systemic mechanisms to protect victims,” says Victoria Laaber, another victim of sexual harassment at the City of Ottawa.
In March 2021 the Government of Ontario launched consultations on a broad range of municipal integrity issues, including around the municipal code of conduct. One year later, there has been no measures proposed by the Government and as a result Stephen Blais is moving forward with Bill 10.
“Any other employee, in any other workplace in Ontario, would have lost their job for the abuses described by Ottawa’s Integrity Commissioner,” adds Blais. “Elected officials must be held to a higher standard and stripped of their elected privilege of power.”
