Coun. Bill Bestwick says he’s indicated to his colleagues that a byelection should be called for all members of Nanaimo city council.
“I put that as a challenge to all of us,” he said at a council meeting Monday after a citizen asked his position on a code of conduct.
Politicians responded at the meeting to an ultimatum to get along or resign and the call to sign a code of conduct, with many confirming they would put their signature on the line.
After a governance review, Nanaimo’s previous council adopted documents on conduct, performance expectations and roles and responsibilities and created a declaration for politicians to formally commit to upholding the principles. Only Mayor Bill McKay and councillors Wendy Pratt, Ian Thorpe and Diane Brennan signed the pledge in 2015.
Last week, a petition launched on Change.org for city council and the chief administrative officer to decide between agreeing to a to-do list of behaviour, such as co-operation and signing a code of conduct, or resign. It collected 364 names.
After a governance review, Nanaimo’s previous council adopted documents on conduct, performance expectations and roles and responsibilities and created a declaration for politicians to formally commit to upholding the principles. Only Mayor Bill McKay and councillors Wendy Pratt, Ian Thorpe and Diane Brennan signed the pledge in 2015.
Last week, a petition launched on Change.org for city council and the chief administrative officer to decide between agreeing to a to-do list of behavior, such as co-operation and signing a code of conduct, or resign. It collected 364 names.
Matthew O’Donnell, the petition’s creator, said to council Monday there is already a code of conduct on the table and why not take a look at it, revisit it and sign onto it, at the very least to reassure the public they are going to play nice and treat each other with respect. If the current conduct isn’t good enough for this council, create a new one, he said.
If councillors cannot treat each other with respect, O’Donnell says they should resign, and if they don’t and can’t co-operate, public pressure will be put on them for 15 months and their jobs will be made extremely difficult.
“You need to start listening to the public,” he said.
Nanaimo resident Sydney Robertson said signing the code of conduct is, or should be a meaningful symbol and she hopes every one of the council members can find a way to demonstrate personal resolve to conduct themselves better.
“For those of you who feel that councillors don’t need a piece of paper to tell them how to behave, I’d ask how’s that working out for you, because I don’t think it’s working well,” said Robertson.
Terry Lee Wagar asked council not to accept the petition or resolution as a serious statement as to what the citizens of Nanaimo necessarily believe.
The majority of council members indicated they would sign a code of conduct, with the exception of Coun. Gord Fuller. Bestwick said he’ll take it under advisement and Coun. Jim Kipp was absent.
Coun. Bill Yoachim said when he first got onto the Snuneymuxw council in 2002, it was during a treaty process and it divided the community and today the effects ripple.
“For 15 months, we come together in some way, shape or form and will we be best friends? Absolutely not. But can we work together? For sure, we have to, we have no choice. I agree the citizens … deserve it,” he said.
“We got to work together as one and I don’t want us to be divided like I witnessed unfortunately 15 years ago where the community is still not quite healed.”
Fuller said he signed an oath of office, which he considers the code of conduct.
“If we had a code of conduct that could actually offer ramifications for breaching it. Four people signed our so-called code of conduct; four people broke that code. Five people did not sign it; five people did not break that code because we didn’t sign it,” he said.
Fuller said he’d like citizens to take on the provincial government and change the B.C. Community Charter to develop ramifications for negative behaviour, pointing out there’s nothing in it that offers any remedy other than censure.
Coun. Bill Bestwick said he believes his oath of office was an overriding document that would provide the necessary commitment on how he’d conduct himself and be responsible for it, but also said he’d give the signing the code of conduct serious consideration. He also said council members have heard him say he’ll take his “11.1 per cent responsibility” for everything that’s happened on council.
