NO WONDER WOOLWICH'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IS SO BAD

Duff Conacher of Democracy Watch was quoted a few days ago in the Waterloo Region Record as suggesting that both the provincial Ethics laws for M.P.P.s as well as Conflict of Interest laws need to be renamed. Mr. Conacher stated that they should be titled " The Law for Making Conflicts of Interest Impossible to Enforce" or something very close to that. He further advised that not only was enforcement of the current law almost non-existent but when an attempt was made it was via a "kangaroo" court of other M.P.P.s judging their own. ........................................................................................................... Mr. Conacher and Democracy Watch have a long and honourable history of making governments more transparent and accountable. Here in Woolwich we have a joke at the start of each RAC and TAG meeting in which members piously deny being in Pecuniary conflict of interests. What a farce. Both Pat McLean as a CPAC member paid travel expenses, accomodations and meals to sit on the National Advisory Panel for the Canadian Chemical producers Assoc. as well as Susan Bryant who received at the very least copies of the E-DAT computer program showing wells and aquifers beneath Elmira, literally many years before other stakeholders, citizen volunteers etc. were in gross violation of Conflict of Interest matters. Pat would have been nominated by Crompton/Chemtura when she was the Chair of the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee (CPAC) kept her appointment and freebies quiet throughout her tenure as Chair. Similarly Susan Bryant kept quiet from CPAC while she was a member that she was doing editing work for Conestoga Rovers, consultants to Crompton/Chemtura and being compensated, I repeat at the minimum, by years early access to data and information that would have been very helpful to all CPAC members and the general public. ............................................................................................................................... So again clearly if our provincial governments show no real concern for Conflicts of Interest then Woolwich see nothing but advantages in appointing and keeping conflicted citizens on Boards and Committees. This includes when a formal complaint has been made as it was in 2017 by the 2011-2015 CPAC membership to Sandy Shantz and Woolwich Council. Woolwich absolutely refused to investigate, discuss or acknowledge any of it.