By Councillor Lisa Robinson

Over the past few months, Pickering City Council (in Ontario) has adopted a series of draconian measures, effectively stifling the people’s freedom of speech and expression. These actions reflect a disturbing trend toward authoritarianism, undermining the very principles of democracy and transparency that I hold dear to my heart.

Here is a short list of the most recent (not all) draconian recommendations that the Corporation of the City of Pickering staff have brought forward to Council to endorse. Each one of these recommendations passed with all but one Council member’s support.

1. Drastic Reduction in Speaking Time Delegates’ speaking time has been slashed from 10 minutes to a mere 5 minutes per delegation. These new limitations, unfortunately, hinder the opportunity for robust public participation and meaningful dialogue in a public forum.

2. Elimination of Question-and-Answer Period The Council abolished the Q&A period under the guise of it not being utilized to its potential. It is important to note that, behind the scenes, there were numerous individuals in the chambers that evening (at least 20) who were eager to pose their questions to the Mayor. Furthermore, it was not explicitly conveyed to the people that at the beginning of the meeting, Council deliberately made a motion to rearrange the agenda. By way of a vote, they moved that bylaw discussion to the front of the agenda, thereby preventing any of those individuals from voicing their concerns.

3. Restrictive Trespass Regulations You can now be trespassed from city property if an employee does not like you because they “feel” you are an anti-vaxxer, or you have hurt their feelings in some way. Under the new rules, trespassing can even be imposed on individuals who merely post criticisms on social media or via email. The Corporation of the City of Pickering is now policing your right to free expression and punishing dissent of anyone whom they feel has spoken inappropriately or negatively against them. Also, fines were increased from $65.00 to $650.00 and once your term of trespass is over, you still need to get permission in writing by the CAO (Chief Administrative Officer) to be allowed back onto any city property.

4. Nuisance bylaw This bylaw is biased against the public as it is so undefined. It gives council members license to behave inappropriately towards taxpayers. For example, if a council member doesn’t like what someone says or even the clothes they are wearing, they can claim that person is being a nuisance and ask that they leave the premises. If they don’t leave of their own accord, council can utilize the trespass regulations. The undefined nature of this bylaw lacks adequate safeguards for the public who want their voices to be heard and acknowledged.

5. Severe Recording Restrictions Recording or photographing council meetings by the taxpayer is now forbidden. Media must be pre-approved and subjected to a stringent two-thirds council vote, effectively silencing public documentation of proceedings. And are we excluding independent journalists, bloggers, and community members who may provide diverse perspectives from recording public meetings? What is the Corporation of the City of Pickering doing so wrong that staff and council are frightened to be transparent and to allow the public to record public meetings? Did I mention that if the system were to go down or if there was any manipulation of the videos, we would have no backup from an independent third party? The Corporation of the City of Pickering now has complete control of the narrative, leaving no way for anyone to question its authenticity. Some members of the public have already brought attention to inconsistencies (time jumps, white noise, and possible audio manipulation) in previously recorded council sessions.

6. Exclusion of Non-Residents Delegates Non-residents are barred from speaking at council meetings unless their topic is sanctioned by a two-thirds council vote. This hypocritical behaviour, creates an exclusionary environment. That means that while we continuously support other communities, staff, and councils of other municipalities, and even enter into agreements with them, we will not support their citizens. With this move, the Corporation of the City of Pickering has made it quite clear that their only focus is on those in positions of power at the expanse of “we the people.”

7. Agenda Control Over Pickering Residents Taxpayers of Pickering are now prohibited from addressing topics not on the agenda without prior approval and a council vote, further suppressing spontaneous public discourse. In other words, if the council does not approve of the topic you wish to address, you will not be permitted to speak about it in a public forum and will be limited to sending an email instead.

8. Advertising On June 10, 2024, at the Executive Committee meeting, a new advertising bylaw was introduced by staff to further suppress freedom of speech. Staff wants the council to pass a new bylaw that would mandate advertising in specific newspapers. Staff may be promoting certain media outlets over others, like The Central or Druthers, potentially introducing bias or conflict of interest that undermines the fairness and impartiality expected in public communications. These types of constraints against my advertising budget limit my ability to reach my intended audience effectively.

The behaviour of our Mayor has exacerbated these troubling developments. The Mayor has blatantly resorted to derogatory remarks and bullying tactics against residents and anyone with dissenting opinions. He has openly called them “nutcases,” “conspiracy theorists,” and “Nazis,” and has publicly insulted individuals by telling them to “go have another drink.” Such statements are unprofessional and unacceptable. Who gives anyone the right to name-call or insult anyone just because they think differently, or because they don’t agree with you?

In an alarming display of disrespect during a council meeting, the Mayor stated that he was going to keep me on a short leash, treating me with utter disdain and reducing my role to that of a subordinate, or an animal of some sort. This kind of behaviour is reprehensible and unworthy of any public official.

Adding to the public’s outrage, the Mayor openly admitted that policies can be overlooked for the benefit of those with financial influence, blatantly prioritizing wealth over fairness and equality. Ordinary citizens have become secondary to those with deep pockets, like developers, for instance. During council meetings, he disregards residents’ concerns, especially if there is a game on, choosing his personal interests over his duty. Shockingly, most of the councillors follow this kind of leadership by consistently sitting there on their phones or iPads during delegations.

These measures and behaviors are a vociferous attack on the fundamental rights of free speech and expression. By curtailing public speaking time, eliminating Q&A sessions, and enforcing repressive trespass stipulations, the Council is silencing the voices of those they are elected to represent. The new recording restrictions and exclusion of non-residents and certain media further demonstrate an intent to operate in the shadows, away from public scrutiny.

The Corporation of the City of Pickering and Council’s actions resemble those of a mini-dictatorship rather than a democratic society, showing a clear disregard for transparency, accountability, and public engagement.

I was elected by the people, for the people, and it’s shameful that some colleagues and community members are doing everything they can over social media to discredit my character for standing up, speaking out, and telling the truth. This heavy-handed approach by certain individuals further undermines trust in your local government and sets a dangerous precedent for the suppression of civil liberties.

This kind of disregard for taxpayers could happen at other councils. When passed bylaws become “best practices,” the information is shared between municipalities that may or may not decide to endorse and adopt these draconian measures.

“Strength does not lie in the absence of fear, but in the courage to face it head-on and rise above it.”