Another political election is upon us and as usual rumors instead of the truth are flung about in an attempt to perpetuate the perceived notion of a democracy. I have discovered that elected governmental individuals have no accountability towards their actions or lack of actions. Politicians can choose which members of the public they want to listen to or not listen to without any recourse.
For Members of Provincial Parliament there is an Office of the Integrity Commissioner but it is not for the use of the public to demand integrity from the politicians but for MPP’s to complain about other MPP’s. There is no organization or measure in place for the public to challenge the accountability to Members of Provincial Parliament. I was told by the Integrity Commissioner that the public only counts at election time. So it is with Municipal Politicians, except there is no Integrity Commissioner available for councilors and mayors. I do not agree with the concept that the public has only the one time to voice their opinion at elections for their input into political action. In a true democracy elected government officials represent the people, all the people, not just a select few or special interest groups.
The politicians are the ones who gather the concerns of the public to resolve, in peaceful, timely manner, all solutions to maintain a healthy community. The very basis of politics is 2 or more people gathering together to make a decision. It is how this decision is made which separates the people and causes all the grief or brings the people together unanimously, in peace, to resolve issues with strength.
In my personal experience, I have noticed that locally, the Municipal Government has chosen to separate the people due to lack of communication, assumptions and a lack of answering questions, favoritism, lack of accountability, lies and lack of acknowledgment of such, the use of bullying and intimidation, lack of openness and hiding behind their egos and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, lack of integrity and professionalism.
People ask me if I am going to vote and I am not sure. I do not perceive any vested interest into voting for one person or another because the internal government system is broken due to assumptions, lack of communication, and people taking issues too personally to do their job.
There has always been a lack of voting from young voters statistically because they also do not see any vested interest in this exercise. The youth are taught one thing in school by adults and see the opposite going on in our perceived democratic society controlled by adults. Until our elected officials show some integrity and are accountable to their actions or lack of actions there seems no point in wasting my time in voting. Politicians constantly make rules, (laws), and in the case of the Municipality of Wawa, have no Bylaw enforcement mandate in place and if they do, will only enforce bylaws if they want to, but maybe I “just bought a house in the wrong part of town” to get services from the Municipality.
So my challenge to all candidates in the upcoming municipal election is that I challenge you to promise to uphold the stated points in the Municipality of Wawa Values Statement. To be truly accountable to fulfill your obligation to represent the people, “all the people”, whether they voted for you or not.
Never trust anyone who fears exposing the truth.
~ Chris Mortimer, Wawa, ON
