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Opening comments: More at the end.
To the main Judicial Inquiry page - to the Hazel McCallion page.
Comments by others to this web-page 4.
Mississauga News - Oct. 2, 2009 - By ? (jstewart@mississauga.net)
Investigation or witch hunt?
Power struggle?. The debate is on about whether calling for a
judicial inquiry over conflict of interest allegations against Mayor Hazel McCallion
is a legitimate attempt to investigate or an attempt to remove her from office
orchestrated by Ward 6 Councillor Carolyn Parrish. File photos
Is the judicial inquiry called for by Mississauga city council a legitimate investigation of conflict of interest allegations against Mayor Hazel McCallion, or an attempt to remove her from office so Ward 6 Councillor Carolyn Parrish can become the next mayor of Mississauga?
The Toronto media is speculating today whether dirty politics is behind Wednesday's vote by councillors to call for a judicial inquiry into the mayor's failure to declare a conflict of interest at a May council meeting. A land deal involving her son Peter was on the agenda that day.
The vote to call the inquiry was split along the lines of the camps that support McCallion and Parrish on council, raising concerns in some quarters that it was politically motivated.
Parrish told The National Post that she's tired of being accused of hatching a plot to get rid of McCallion so she can run for mayor.
"Those who are so fantastically loyal to the mayor as to characterize this as a 'witch hunt' show a remarkable lack of sophistication," Parrish told the Toronto newspaper.
"Blind loyalty and and fear of the truth do Hazel more harm than good," she added.
McCallion told The Globe and Mail that she believes Parrish, who plans to run for mayor after she leaves office, is the force behind the call for the judicial inquiry.
"That's politics, I guess," McCallion told The Globe. "She's said she wants to be mayor and I would welcome her to run against me."
Parrish confirmed that she has no plans to commit political suicide by challenging the long-time incumbent, who has reigned since 1978.
"She's an icon," Parrish told The Globe. "She was (caught in a conflict of interest accusation) in 1982 and no one cared. She's a wonderful lady and she has served the city well.
"You'd have to be pretty foolish to run against Hazel."
Some of the councillors who opposed the call for an inquiry believe there are political motivations behind it.
Ward 8 Councillor Katie Mahoney told The Globe that, "Parrish wants to be mayor, and if she can undermine and wear down Mayor McCallion, she'll use any method she can to do that. For this treatment to be imposed upon (the mayor) at this stage in her career, unfounded - totally unfounded, all conjecture - is an absolute disgrace."
Mahoney's husband Steve, the chair of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, fought a bitter nomination battle with Parrish three years ago for the federal Liberal nomination in Mississauga-Erindale. He and Parrish are likely contenders to replace McCallion when she leaves office.
Ward 2 Councillor Pat Mullin told The Toronto Sun that she fears dirty politics is behind the inquiry.
"We had a legal opinion ... that spelled out there was no wrongdoing," Mullin said.
"Why would I vote for something just to go on a witch hunt? I believe there's a lot more to this," added the veteran councillor. "I'm not going to be part of that."
The councillor who sponsored the motion, Ward 7's Nando Iannicca, said council cannot let such a serious allegation remain uninvestigated.
Iannicca is not considered a Parrish supporter. In fact, the two fought a bitter election campaign for the Ward 7 councillor's seat before Parrish went into federal politics in 1993.
Independent lawyers have concluded that the mayor did fail to declare a conflict, as required by the Conflict of Interest Act, said Iannicca.
"We're not accusing her of anything," Iannicca said. "We're saying, send it to someone else and let them decide," he said. "I don't think I can look my constituents in the face and say, 'it's okay, don't' worry, we swept (allegations) under the rug.'"
In a front-page article in The Globe this morning, McCallion says she doesn't believe there was any wrongdoing. A lawyer she hired two weeks ago told her that since there was no debate or decision reached at the May 21 meeting, "it was of no significance," the mayor said.
She admits it was an error.
"I've apologized. If I had it to do over again," she told The Globe, "I would declare the conflict."
In 1982, McCallion faced similar charges when she took part in several private discussions with other city councillors about development planning for parts of Mississauga including an area where her family property near Streetsville was up for development.
In that case, the presiding judge concluded that McCallion violated conflict of interest laws but he didn't remove her from office because he believed it was a "bona fide error in judgment."
She won the election a few months later by a wide margin.
Comments by others, 4, to this web-page;
Think About It - Oct 3, 2009 12:29 PM
For Orphans and Widows Only?
In reference to Mr. John Roe/ Tom Triantafillou’s letter April 22 2002... (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7527071@N05/3334796559/ ) … the information conveyed through Family Services of Peel was the amalgamation of 12 local churches, The Compass Lakeshore Community Outreach Centre Inc, 310 Lakeshore Road West Mississauga, were coming together to provide food and toiletry services for orphans and widows only? Councilor Pat Mullin had officially cut the opening ribbon December 2002 but there was no rhyme nor reason why the Region of Peel’s web master had it removed off their data base http://peel.cioc.ca/record/BRA0398 ?
Uatu - Oct 3, 2009 12:15 PM
McCallion condones falsified records
"In a front-page article in The Globe this morning, McCallion says she doesn't believe there was any wrongdoing." The Mayor knows that the Council minutes were falsified. Since she thinks there was no wrongdoing then she either does not care about or even approves of the behaviour that resulted in a fraudulent record. Forget the conflict of interest issue, THIS is why she should not be Mayor.
* Agree 3
The Mississauga Muse - Oct 2, 2009 5:19 PM
Speaking of dishonesty and McCallion's MYTHissauga staff suffocating Truth…
Examples of other dishonesty? No one but me noticed on Wednesday that senior staff (Baker, Breault, Mitcham) did not speak up to come clean with Councillor Saito regarding what they know about the bans/arrests issued to Youth and minors at City facilities. As a result Councillor Saito (and all elected officials and Rogers viewers) were left with the impression --in Saito's words, "that other steps have been taken before (bans) happen" to youth/minors. FALSE. Bans are issued immediately. Parents not informed. Kids as young a 9/10. Should a kid make a mistake and return during a ban, they “will be” arrested. “Will be” –the Director’s own edit. Why did Baker, Breault, Mitcham not speak up to alert Saito of what’s really happening to kids at City properties? Not in the Corporate interests. It’s not possible for a municipality to be more Youth-toxic and hypocritical. Truth is a Stranger in MYTHissauga
* Agree 1
Think About It - Oct 2, 2009 2:59 PM
Mrs. McCallion’s letter of reference file #1 January 29, 2002
There’s still no explanation why Mrs. McCallion would send a letter of reference out that was later charged and found busted for fraud and brides. The same letter was also referenced to Ward 2 Councilor Pat Mullin and the former Mississauga Economic Development Director, Larry Petrovello who’s no longer there? http://www.flickr.com/photos/7527071@N05/3284969032/in/photostream/
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