Private members' bill to oust misbehaving councillors to see 2nd reading again

A private members' bill that aims to oust city councillors who don't comply with workplace violence and harassment policies will see a second reading in the Ontario legislature at the end of May, for the second time.

The Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act, or Bill 5, was introduced by Orléans MPP Stephen Blais, and passed second reading at Queen's Park in March of last year. But the Ford government did not push it through to third reading before the last provincial election. 

At a news conference Monday morning Blais said he had hoped the bill would pass before the provincial and municipal elections in 2022 so "everyone running ... knew what the rules of the game would be."

"Instead, the government chose to play politics after second reading — did not give it a committee hearing and did not bring it forward for final debate," said the Liberal MP.

The bill is scheduled for second reading on May 30. Blais said he also wants a committee hearing for the bill to allow survivors to tell their stories. 

Under the rules of the bill, the integrity commissioner would investigate any councillor facing allegations. If the commissioner ruled the infringement was serious enough to warrant a removal from office, a judicial review would take place. The bill would also apply to members of local boards. 

Municipalities on board, say advocates 

Under current rules, councillors can only lose their seats for breaking election spending rules and certain conflict of interest policies, with the most severe penalty being suspension of pay. 

Former Ottawa city councillor Rick Chiarelli was docked pay for 15 months in 2020 after CBC and two integrity commissioner reports found he harassed former staff members and job applicants for years and abused his power of office. Blais, who served on Ottawa city council for about a decade, said that incident inspired him to pen Bill 5. 

"The fact that the situation in Ottawa was able to, and allowed to persist for almost three and a half years is, you know, verging on criminal," said Blais 

"Elected leaders, no matter what level they're elected, hold tremendous positions of authority and respect in our community, and with that authority and respect comes a responsibility to obviously behave properly, but to also set a standard."

The advocacy group The Women of Ontario Say No, along with municipal leaders from across the province, attended the news conference Monday to show support for the bill. 

"There is buy-in from councils across the province. They want this," said group member and advocate Emily McIntosh.

"This is important. This is not legislation to be feared, but to be embraced."

McIntosh said 83 municipalities so far in Ontario have signed on to support the bill.