This Isn’t Hockey It’s the Future of Our Country

This Isn’t Hockey It’s the Future of Our Country By Councillor Lisa Robinson Tuesday night’s Council meeting was a disgrace. Not just in how it looked, but in what it revealed. Council passed a motion titled: "Affirming Support for Canadian Businesses and Workers Amidst Cross-Border Trade Disputes." But behind the patriotic title was a power grab, plain and simple. The motion gives staff emergency purchasing powers to: - Bypass competitive bidding. - Extend contracts and approve over-budget purchases — without ever coming back to Council. - Do it all in the name of “supporting Canadian businesses,” even if it costs taxpayers more — and even though no emergency directive has been issued by the federal or provincial governments with no expiration date. And who helped craft this motion? City staff. Working hand-in-hand with Councillors Butt and Brenner. Of course they support it — because it gives them unchecked power to spend money without oversight. A couple of months ago, Councillor Brenner told us in chambers that he planned to bring this motion forward. I said it then, and I’ll say it again now - it was petty, and it made us look retaliatory. I said it would send the wrong message: that we’re playing politics instead of leading with principle. But they pushed ahead anyway, because that’s how this Council works. They don’t lead, they provoke. And sometimes, frankly, their actions remind me of children. It’s disturbing. Let’s be clear: I asked if any financial impact analysis had been done. The answer? No. I asked what protections were in place to stop sweetheart deals. None. I asked who would monitor this spending. No one. And when I asked about precautions about favoritism, the Mayor said my questions were “not appropriate.” When I asked if a project goes over budget – whether a dollar or $4,000, would staff come back to council for approval? The Mayor shrugged and said he’d “hope the Treasurer wouldn’t come to Council for $4,000.” But let’s not pretend that’s the issue. It’s $4,000 here, $15,000 there, or even $100,000 on so called public art projects. You’ve see the kind of wasteful spending I’ve been exposing: taxpayer dollars being poured into redoing artwork, that wasn’t done right the first time. Or the spending of your tax dollars to honour someone who had no connection to Pickering whatsoever. No roots here, no history, no ties to our community. Just plain old fashion wasteful spending, . And what did they do in response when I brought that up? They quietly passed a policy change that spending $100,000 or under on artwork no longer needs Council approval. That’s not the only one. There are now multiple new policies in place that let staff approve spending and contracts without ever coming before the elected body of this city. And you wonder why your taxes keep going up and up, higher and higher - while the public gets fewer services, answers, and less say. And then came the mockery. While voting on this dangerous motion, the Mayor and several councillors threw their elbows up, laughing like it was some kind of inside joke. “Elbows up” is embarrassing. This isn’t a hockey game — it’s the future of our country. We’re dealing with serious issues like sovereignty, trade, and economic independence — not throwing body checks on the global stage. It’s reckless rhetoric, and it only exposes how unserious some of our so-called leaders really are. Councillor Nagy followed the vote with a smug jab, saying she “hopes the people of Pickering see who supports Canada and who doesn’t.” And the Mayor — instead of stopping that slander — leaned in and said: “I think your vote shows exactly how you feel about Canada.” The same Mayor and Council who blocked my motion for seven months to play the national anthem before meetings only to hijack the idea when Trump’s tariffs hit, bury it in a pile of procedural garbage they knew I couldn’t support, and then accuse me of voting against the anthem, when they gave me no choice. It’s always the same pattern. They bury the truth. They twist the facts. And they spread lies to tear down anyone who won’t fall in line. So let me be crystal clear: I support Canadian businesses. I support Pickering jobs. But I will not support giving staff the power to spend your money in the dark, with no oversight, no competition, and no accountability. This wasn’t about patriotism. It was about protecting their power, silencing opposition, and retaliating against anyone who dares expose the truth. If standing up to that makes me the only “no” vote in the room, 6 to 1 - then good. Because I’d rather stand alone with the people, than sit in silence with the corrupt. This isn’t hockey. This is your money. This is your democracy. And I will fight like hell to protect both. I am Councillor Lisa Robinson, The People’s Councillor