We should be encouraging participation and effective communication.
Local groups: If you want mayor and council to attend your event, be sure to address your invitation in writing to mayor and council. Let your group know who you invited so there is no misunderstanding if someone did not attend. Realize that not all of council can attend everything, yet they do appreciate the invitation and it creates greater awareness of your group and event.
Council meetings are opportunities for council to make statements on the record and in public. It is appropriate for anyone on council to use this platform if there is something they feel needs to be addressed.
Don’t assume that nothing has been done prior to this step to address a situation: example, sharing information about upcoming events with the rest of council. Don’t blame an individual on council for using the tools available to them.
It is the media who chooses to highlight and attempt to create issues around specific comments. I take except to a recent editorial by editor, Stephen Heywood where he attacks an individual councillor. I ask if Mr. Heywood spoke with both parties to get their perspectives prior to the editorial.
Is it the editor’s role to chastise individual community members? Does the PQB News have political preferences that it is championing? These are the questions the editorial raises for me.
I would expect a local paper to be a champion of freedom of speech and open communication. You should also take responsibility for being part of the machine that creates the current political environment.
Wendy Maurer
Qualicum Beach
