City councillors could lose their jobs for serious misconduct under just-passed Ontario law

“I’m so moved to see a non-partisan effort create a non-partisan result to create a better Ontario for all people, and a place where we have a very basic standard of conduct that people can actually adhere to and respect, and will be held accountable if they cannot,” she said. 

“This is a huge legacy piece, and the people of Ontario have won.”

The new rules mean that elected officials who are found guilty of serious breaches of codes of conduct by both local and provincial integrity commissioners can subsequently be removed by a unanimous vote of council. 

Up until now, local politicians could be fired for things like campaign finance violations, but not for sexual harassment, leaving some in office even after an integrity commissioner found them guilty of misconduct.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Ontario Big City Mayors and the Rural Ontario Municipal Association had all urged stronger measures.

“It has to be a lot of steps, because it has to be a difficult decision to kick out anybody that’s been elected,” Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack told reporters at Queen’s Park.

“We’re not saying it’s absolutely perfect, but it’s a great start,” Flack added, acknowledging that developing and passing the legislation has been a long process that included committee hearings last summer.

“We took our time, we consulted,” he said, adding he expects that a province-wide code of conduct and other regulations will be in place for the fall municipal elections. 

Premier Doug Ford said he voted for the bill despite his own reservations that councillors could use it to go after political opponents.

“Hopefully, it’s all going to work out and they won’t take advantage of this,” he said.

Following the vote in the legislature, Flack motioned to Liberal MPP Stephen Blais and New Democrat MPP Jeff Burch to acknowledge their efforts. 

Blais had previously introduced a private member’s bill with tougher penalties, after issues arose on Ottawa city council in 2019 when three women came forward about the harassment they faced.

This bill “is a very big step forward to deal with the issue of sexual harassment, abuse, violence that for a long time has existed and gone unnoticed” and only whispered about, he said. 

“This ensures that all jobs in Ontario will now be treated the same … if you harass or physically abuse your co-worker, you’re going to lose your job. The same can now happen with city councils across the province.”

Both he and McIntosh have concerns about the required unanimous vote to fire politicians, and Blais said “we would certainly propose future amendments.”

However, he added, “it was important to get something done before this municipal election started, so there were rules in place that everyone putting their name forward understands the rules … and understands the consequences if they do misbehave.”

Flack said while he’s open to improving the bill, any councillor fighting a push to oust another could pay at the polls.

“After both local and provincial integrity commissioners said this is a bad actor and should be gone, and that one dissenting vote says no — God bless them in the next election,” he said.

Charmaine Williams, associate minister of women’s social and economic opportunity, told the Star that “we are going to see more women confident, and staff confident, that they’re going to be working in a safe environment.”

Star reporter Mahdis Habibinia recently detailed allegations of misconduct, verbal abuse and bullying  at city hall, and how it’s behind a push by political staff to unionize.

Independent MPP Bobbi Ann Brady was the lone vote against the Municipal Accountability Act on Tuesday. She told the Star she believes “we are removing democracy out of hands of people who elect councillors, mayors, elected officials” with the bill, and that it will lead to costly — and ultimately fruitless — reports from integrity commissioners given the unlikelihood of unanimous council votes.