Transparency & Accountability At Toronto Silly Hall

Shipping Dept. At Toronto Silly Hall......

Watchdog initiative mustn't fail TheStar.com - Columnist - Watchdog initiative mustn't fail

May 03, 2008

Royson James

By some measure, Toronto's government watchdogs have more bark than bite. Viewed another way, some are toothless or rubber-toothed. At best, the four agencies or individuals established to assure citizens that their city and its politicians function at the highest ethical levels have experienced teething problems.

That's to be expected. The city is breaking new ground on a number of fronts – thanks to recommendations and actions stemming from the $20 million computer leasing inquiry.

But the stakes are so high that council must be relentless in its drive toward public accountability and transparency.

It's not long ago that the city's name was dragged through the mud of public opinion.

The language of the computer leasing inquiry that followed the scandal still reverberates.

Madam Justice Denise Bellamy, who presided over the inquiry and reported in 2005, was clear, insightful and biting. No one could have misunderstood her disgust at what she heard during the inquiry and her efforts, on behalf of the public, to create a better future.

She described the city's IT staff as being "addicted to the rich diet of corporate largesse," and its director as having "a prodigious appetite for corporate freebies." The city treasurer "walked into a conflict of interest with her eyes wide open," and failed to see "that close relationships can compromise decision-making."

Bellamy recommended council set up an ombudsman to look into public complaints against councillors; an integrity commissioner to monitor and rule on the conduct of councillors; a lobbyist registry to show clearly who is hustling councillors for city business contracts and a registrar to oversee it; an auditor general to follow the money and to pinpoint savings.

The auditor general was already in place and is doing the best work of the bunch. The lobbyist registry has been plagued with start-up problems while the job search for the ombudsman begins next week. And the integrity commissioner has had mixed results.

Still, these are initiatives that must not fail.

Bellamy had much to say about the conduct of city councillors. It is into this milieu that David Miller inserted his campaign for mayor in 2003, with promises of transparency and accountability.

Now, in power, the mayor wants to hold more private meetings, something Bellamy warned against. And he wants to hire and fire the city manager, something Bellamy recommended against.

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