Councillor defends his position on in camera disclosure

Nunatsiaq News is one of this city’s foremost media outlets. In my mind, it should therefore take the high road, staying clear of cheap tabloidism, sensationalism and trash-talking.

Instead, I would like to see it use some of its clout to provoke or encourage our population, both transient and long-term, to get involved in the positive development of our community and generally give the public more credit for their environmental concern.

Being part of the solution can be very rewarding, but the energy required to counter negativity drains us all of community spirit and will. And for me, personally, I am busting at the seams to start talking about the real issues before us, rather than wasting time conjuring images of 1970s game shows.

Rather than countering each of your statements, let me stick to the positive facts:

1. I was accused of making events at an in-camera session public. This is simply not true. Out of respect for the spirit of in-camera discussions I bit my tongue until my eyes watered. I tried to get council and the city administration to discuss the allegation made, but everyone dismissed it, without providing any reason.

Several troubled days after the incident I spoke to my pastor, then my lawyer and the police, all of whom assured me it was heard in confidence. I told the city administrator what I had done. I did not make the matter public, and I trusted that an allegation of bribery would be appropriately dealt with by an RCMP investigation.

2. The matter would have remained there, but clearly others did not have the same respect for the process. The mayor and council in their wisdom decided to publically censure me for “going public.”

3. I still said nothing to the public. It was the RCMP who first used the word “bribe” and it was city council itself who made the investigation public. I believed, and still do, that it is appropriate to have an investigation of any such allegation, and if the municipal administration will not raise it with the proper authority it is each of our responsibility to do so. If we fail to do so, we allow the creep of allegations and insinuations to become accepted in our community.

In the end, the allegation may or may not be provable and may or may not result in someone being prosecuted or convicted. What I do know is that I did not sit on my rear end. I know that I have brought the issue to the appropriate agency. In my mind, bribery is not acceptable and deserves no accommodation.

Why the mayor and council decided to act at this time and in this way puzzles me:

I believe that the city consistently and inappropriately uses in-camera sessions to conduct business which should be known to the public.

I believe that council’s motion excluding me is illegal and that they have no right to exclude an elected member from any council business. But the time is short for this council, and I do not have the resourses to start a court action.

I believe that instead of me being shut out, each of those councillors should be apologizing to the public for having taken no action at all when they were presented with a clear allegation of corruption. Every pair of ears at the in-camera session heard the bribery disclosure.

Jim Little
Iqaluit

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