The minister of municipal affairs and housing in Ontario says creating a bill to tackle harassment by local politicians is proving to be more challenging than expected.
Paul Calandra has admitted that he will not be able to introduce the legislation by June as he initially planned, but he is still working on it.
The Progressive Conservatives rejected a Liberal proposal that would have allowed the termination of councillors and local board members for violating workplace violence or harassment policies. However, Calandra stated that the government will present its own bill.
When asked about the progress of the bill at a press conference, Calandra mentioned that he is finding it difficult to create rules that can apply to the different integrity acts in municipalities across Ontario, as they operate in varying ways.
He mentioned that he is consulting Ontario’s integrity commissioner for advice.
A non-partisan group called Women Say No has been pushing for the legislation, pointing out that some municipalities have faced challenges in holding politicians accountable for workplace harassment due to the lack of appropriate tools.
