NATIONAL NEWS

NATIONAL NEWS By Lisa Robinson - Pickering City Councillor The City of Pickering has recently become the subject of National News bringing with it a newfound awareness of the realities of how things are run at the Municipal level and other related institutions. This awakening, if you will, is an important step in holding those in positions of power accountable for their actions. Being a newly elected official of 2022, I have been doing my best to shed light on the underlying corruption I have witnessed during my short time on the Council. I have been steadfast in questioning the motives and “best practices” of those entrusted with decision-making while upholding my Declaration of Office. I had to solemnly promise and declare that: I would truly, faithfully, and impartially exercise this office to the best of my knowledge and ability; that I have not received and will not receive any payment or reward, or promise thereof, for the exercise of this office in a biased, corrupt or any other improper manner; I will disclose any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in accordance with the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act; and that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the Third. While my Declaration of Office does not commit me to prioritize the needs and best interest of the people I represent, my focus is and will always be on the well-being and interests of the community, which is the very essence of why I persevered to join this political arena in the first place. Despite my attempts to make friends or become popular, I was quickly cautioned by various individuals within the City staff by a recurring cautionary note that struck a chord with me that I will never soon forget: “Councillor Robinson, these people are not your friends.” Today I find myself humbled by the wisdom of those words and realize just how accurate they were. I have grown from these very words and now champion myself to be not a nice person but rather a good person. In my humble opinion, a nice person is someone who wants to be liked and be popular. They will do anything they can to make sure they win the next election even if it is morally wrong and goes against the good of the people. A yes nodder, who doesn’t question one-sided narratives being pushed forward in fear of being disliked. A good person, however, does not care about being liked or popular. A good person will refuse to base their decisions on whether or not it serves their best interest and gets them re-elected. I want to be known as a politician who is a good person, one who consistently speaks the truth and is genuinely honest, putting the needs of the people first above all else. A good person who will not be coerced into political posturing, by colleagues or special interest groups just to win a popular vote. I have consistently demonstrated my commitment to being a principled independent thinker. I refuse to conform or vote along with my colleagues just for the sake of agreement. I thoroughly research topics brought forward in my agenda and ask pertinent questions. If I cannot obtain any, or at least satisfactory answers, then I refuse to vote in favour of said agenda item with my colleagues. I am still trying to understand how anyone can make informed decisions and prioritize the best interests of the community without having answers. Because I have the ability to see what everyone else can see, but I can think differently, raises grave concerns in some instances, resulting in many 6 to 1 votes, and judging by the transparency of staff and council expressions, my perspective of not following along is not popular and frowned upon. The same goes with my three draft motions that I was trying to bring forward for my constituents in which I lost one-quarter of my first year's salary under the recommendation of Principles Integrity. Whom I believe was biased, and based their report on double hearsay, her personal opinion and her personal views, while attacking my character and concluding that the following three draft motions somehow showed to be transphobic and homophobic in nature: a draft motion asking that we as a Municipal Government should remain neutral by only flying government flags (and the poppy/Veterans flag) on all government buildings; a draft motion that would give boys, girls, men, and women the choice to use either their biological changeroom or the choice to use a universal changeroom that is inclusive to all genders and/or families; and a third draft motion that would have placed an age restriction on drag queen story time and pride events. Unfortunately, none of my colleagues supported having open dialog surrounding the implementation of these policies, and instead voted to sanction my pay on the recommendation of “Principles Integrity.” I have since initiated a Judicial review of their report, and it is also worth noting that there seems to be a trend with “Principles Integrity” who were fired from another Municipality in 2022 on similar allegations of having a biased opinion and the way they attacked another Council member's integrity. Recently, I have become aware of the City’s decision to withhold payment for an ad I authored in this very newspaper at the end of last year. It seems they are dissatisfied with my proactive approach in reaching out to constituents and sharing information regarding all the 6 to 1 votes I lost during my initial year on Council. Consequently, The Central newspaper will be compelled to take legal action against the City of Pickering to obtain payment that was rightfully allocated within my 2023 budget. The punitive measures of depriving me of monetary amounts due to my exercise of free speech and expression, on top of my monetary sanction, serve to demonstrate the City of Pickering’s vindictive stance against me and the constituents perspectives I represent. It doesn’t stop there, as just the other week, on my way to a meeting, I overheard a conversation where a senior member of staff, who happens to be the mayor’s right-hand man, was instructing staff to meticulously scrutinize all my videos, social media, and op-eds in an effort to find grounds for code of conduct charges against me. I find it deeply concerning that the mayor has been engaging in this type of targeted action with the intent to undermine and harm me because I tell the truth, I ask too many questions, and I refuse to sit silently and obey. Not only does this type of behaviour violate the principles of fairness, respect, and professionalism as outlined in our Code of Conduct, but it is compromising the trust and integrity of the Council as a whole. Not to mention that this attack on me comes at a cost to you, the taxpayer, showing the lengths of just how spiteful and vindictive our mayor is willing to go to silence my right to free speech and challenge the status quo. CUPE 129 and PPFA have joined in, following the mayor’s narrative of calling me a racist for publicly stating a personal opinion, in a timely fashion. A classic playbook strategy in which they executed flawlessly, as they need to protect their interests and make sure their concerns are taken into consideration in future decision-making processes. Despite my willingness to engage in open dialogue, no one has directly approached me to discuss my opinion. Not the Mayor, Council members, staff, or either union. Instead, they have chosen to act against me covertly, betraying my trust with their secret meetings, whispers in the halls, emails, and phone calls. You the taxpayer should be concerned with this ongoing trend as this is not how leaders should behave. These undemocratic actions do not align with the principles outlined in our Charter of Rights and the Bill of Rights which should be guiding the conduct of these elected officials, and leaders of the community. As challenging as my path has been thus far, it only reinforces that more than ever I need to uphold values and fulfill the responsibilities that my constituents elected me to do. As for those individuals who take joy in resorting to hatred, name-calling, insults, and mocking my appearance through memes, I understand that your emotions may be sensitive, but I will always prioritize truth over feelings. Perhaps one day, you too will come to see this perspective. Until then, embrace the love within you, for it has the power to illuminate even the darkest paths of your journey. "Strength Does Not Lie In The Absence Of Fear, But In The Courage To Face It Head-On And Rise Above It"