Municipal councils across Ontario that have been urging the province to give them the ability to impose stricter sanctions on unethical councillors will have to wait a while longer.
Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra had said in the spring that he was working on the issue and would bring the long-promised plan to present at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in August.
But that conference wrapped up on Wednesday and legislation is still not ready, as the minister awaits recommendations from the province’s integrity commissioner.
Municipalities for years have been calling for updated codes of conduct to address workplace harassment, as well as stricter penalties for those who violate those rules, up to removing them from office.
Calandra said in the spring that it has proven to be more complex than he thought, so he wanted to consult more and seek advice from Ontario’s integrity commissioner.
Earlier this month, the mayor of Pickering and several city council members sent a letter to Premier Doug Ford and Calandra asking them to legislate stricter sanctions for the conduct of municipal officials.
The letter was sent after fellow councillor Lisa Robinson appeared on a podcast where the host labelled her colleagues pedophiles, Nazis and fascists.
A spokesperson for Calandra says a report from the commissioner is now expected this fall.