The Women of Ontario Say No is a non-partisan organization that is pushing for government mandates to hold municipally-elected officials accountable in the event of workplace harassment. (Image via #WomenOfOntarioSayNo)
Bruce County Council has resolved to support an AMO push requesting legislation to strengthen municipal Codes of Conduct.
The notice of motion was added to the council agenda during the meeting on June 1st, following a presentation from Emily McIntosh, who is the lead advocate of the organization known as The Women of Ontario Say No.
The purpose of the presentation was initially intended to support the now-defeated Bill 5, the Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act, which was defeated in the provincial legislature on May 31st.
In the motion, council moved to have Bruce County supports the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) for the Ontario government to introduce legislation that would change municipal Codes of Conduct to ensure that elected officials would be held accountable for harassing employees and facing penalties if they did so.
The changes in legislation that AMO is calling for:
– Updating municipal Codes of Conduct to account for workplace safety and harassment
– Creating a flexible administrative penalty regime, adapted to the local economic and financial circumstances of municipalities across Ontario
– Increasing training of municipal Integrity Commissioners to enhance consistency of investigations and recommendations across the province
– Allowing municipalities to apply to a member of the judiciary to remove a sitting member if recommended through the report of a municipality Integrity Commissioner
– Prohibit a member so removed from sitting for election in the term of removal and the subsequent term of office.
The organization The Women of Ontario Say No is a non-partisan group advocating for government legislation to hold municipally-elected politicians accountable for violence and harassment.
Bill 5 was a private member’s Bill tabled in the provincial legislature by Orleans MPP Stephen Blais in August 2022.