Regina city councillor's decision to 'reply all' could result in reprimand
Regina city council will have a decision on its hands Wednesday, about whether a reprimand is needed for Coun. Andrew Stevens after he disclosed a confidential report.
The report, dated June 13, 2022, pertained to a variety of allegations that were made against fellow Coun. Terina Nelson by Stevens in early 2022.
“The allegations covered in the report were all dismissed by the Integrity Commissioner, either because they were found to be unsubstantiated or because there was an insufficient basis to investigate them,” the report read.
After receiving the report by email, Stevens chose to "reply to all" when sending his response, and in doing so, sent it to other members of city council, the acting city clerk, the acting city manager, and the city solicitor.
An alternative Integrity Commissioner, Randy Langgard, was chosen to investigate Steven’s actions and determine if Regina's code of ethics bylaw was violated.
Langgard's report noted that Stevens admitted he was “in error” and he "regretted it immediately."
However, the commissioner did find that Stevens violated the confidentiality section of the city’s bylaw.
Langgard went on to say that breaches of confidentiality do not have to be intentional.
“The respondent says it never occurred to him that sending it the city solicitor was inappropriate,” the report says.
“I can accept the respondents’ assertion that his disclosure may not have been intentional in relation to the other parties, though it was certainly careless. The respondent has admitted to being frustrated at the time in question has referred to a 'lapse in judgement' on his part.”
RECOMMENDATIONS
Under the ethics bylaw, possible sanctions include a reprimand, requiring that the member apologize to those impacted, requiring educational training, removing the member from council committees or other bodies or dismissing the member from a position of chairperson of a council committee.
In Steven's case, the integrity commissioner recommends council censure or reprimand Stevens for disclosing the confidential report and ask Stevens to provide a written apology to Nelson.
The number of hours spent on the investigation and its cost will be revealed at Wednesday’s council meeting.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.