Meed Ward ask city communications department to remove the material about the Mayor from City Talk

News 100 redBy Staff

October 1st, 2018

BURLINGTON, ON

 

In a statement on her web site Ward 2 city Councillor and Mayoralty candidate Marianne Meed Ward said:

City Talk logo“The video in the September – October 2018 issue of City Talk featuring the current mayor who is running for re-election is a violation of city policy that is intended to ensure incumbents running for re-election do not benefit from city resources during an election period.

Meed Ward points to city policy: “Use of Corporate Resources during an Election” policy states (Page 3):
“From May 1 of a municipal election year until Election Day inclusive:

“City Talk issues will not include information or messages from any member of council nor photographs of any member of council.”

mmw with supporters

Mayoralty candidate Marianne Meed Ward

“The City Talk newsletter should be recalled, the member of council removed per policy, and the newsletter resent. Typically, during an election year, instead of featuring a member of council to promote a city initiative, city staff working on that initiative will be featured in promotional materials. That must also be the case here, to fairly and consistently follow policy.

“I have notified the elections office, city manager, deputy city manager (who is acting City Manager while the City Manager is out of the office), and the communications office, to request the change be made.”

Link to the policy:

Link to the Gazette’s original story.

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5 comments to Meed Ward ask city communications department to remove the material about the Mayor from City Talk

  • Marie

    I think that adopting a “victim” stance to media outlets has become an effective method of getting free PR.

    My votes don’t rest on whose photo shows up in a newsletter. As a matter of fact, when someone points fingers at his or her competitors for breaking rules or claims “it’s not fair!” more than once, I tend to think that person isn’t fit for public office.

    Just my 2 cents.

  • Ken

    Stephen White; Where in my comments am I condoning unethical behaviour or breeching of the rules? Your inference that I lack ethics, honesty and integrity is an insult and unwarranted. I’m going hold the opinion that your post is a rapt departure from your typical contemplative prose and that maybe you were having an off day? Am I too bold to assume your apology???

    Finally, (back to the issues) I’m ever so disappointed that I had to use oxygen to answer a question about dog crap in the last Ward 6 Debate and that I couldn’t tell the voters how I would solve the pending crisis in Long Term Care Beds, or how I would stop Developments approved under the existing Council or how I have effective ideas to improve governance where we get decisions resembling manure. (ie Lascelles Park Marina, J.Brant Museum etc.)

    • Hans

      Ken,
      Like Stephen White, I got the impression from your first message – particularly when you said “who cares?” – that you thought following the rules and running an ethical campaign were not important.
      I care.

  • Ken

    Who Cares??? Is someone really going to vote for Rick because he’s on a City Talk video? Is someone going to vote for Marianne Because her volunteers drive around with a postcard fix to their car? Does crying victim of Push Polls, Sign Slashing or Anti-Candidate Websites really make a difference???

    Clearly the loneliest creature in politics is a new idea….It would be nice if Candidates focused on the election issues so we could tell whether their worthy or not.

    Just saying…..

    • Stephen White

      I’m guessing Ken that in your world things such as ethics, honesty and integrity are merely incidental considerations, and aren’t reflective of candidates’ values. Unfortunately, for some of us these things are important and speak directly to the values we live by and the ideals we support. That also affects the policies we endorse and the candidates for whom we vote.

      There is a huge qualitative difference between a candidate’s supporters who puts a 5″ x 5″ poster on his/her car versus clandestine individuals who engage the services of high priced Toronto public relations firms to conduct bogus surveys, or incumbents who use municipal resources to their clear advantage to communicate and promote their brand and image. Frankly, the Mayor should know better. He’s not a rookie, and he’s been a municipal politician long enough to know the rules. Ignorance is no excuse.

      We do agree on one thing though: candidates should indeed focus on election issues. Unfortunately, since many incumbents this election seem intent on by-passing public forums to articulate and defend their platforms and records (i.e. ECoB debates) I guess we only have their actions to gauge their values, principles and beliefs.