The public is once again being shut out of more key City Hall knowledge.
Justice Robert Crawford decided to allow council's censure over Coun. Brian Skakun's indiscretion with in-camera documents, however he's recommended discussions be held behind closed doors.
It's ironic that the very reason these court proceedings occurred at all was due to Skakun's disdain for closed door debates. That's what has led to the public support he enjoys - not to mention the scrutiny his accusers do not enjoy. And with that public scrutiny now removed, the councillors can let their opinions rip - if they decide to go private.
(All but the mayor and Coun. Debora Munoz, of course, who offered to recuse themselves following accusations of bias.)
The question now is why is city council so determined to take a stand against Skakun? Why this tiny (worth $750 according to provincial law and a presiding judge) non-criminal matter has been pursued so relentlessly right into an election?
It has already deemed by one court to be a breach of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (an Orwellian name if ever there was one) and is still under appeal.
There's one overarching reason yet to be discussed. Here are a few hints: it isn't some democratic principal, it isn't deterrence (seriously, how many times has this happened before or since?), it isn't clarifying best practices for local government.
One final hint: what do most things boil down to? Money.
It appears from this vantage point that the City of Prince George has, from the start, attempted to pin the dirty business arising out of the Kitty Heller report on someone else.
That someone else is Brian Skakun.
Attacking him now is not because court sanctions were too lenient (cutting him off of the "acting mayor" roster doesn't slap his wrist any harder).
Pursuing him so vigorously in court was about building a liability wall around City Hall. (Otherwise, why not leave it in the hands of the privacy commissioner to whom guardianship of this act is bestowed?)
The mayor, city council and senior municipal staff of the day conspired to keep essential public knowledge from getting to the people who were entitled to know it, and they are doing the same thing today with this "distraction," as the mayor rightly calls it.
Names and positions need not have been mentioned when the Heller Report was submitted to City Hall, but a public briefing should have been issued that told the gist of the tale, and what steps were being taken to fix the dysfunction at the RCMP detachment and City Hall.
Except nothing was done about it, that was the problem. The whistle-blowers were the ones who paid the worst price, and City Hall is attempting to exact a price from Skakun now - shameful and wrong both times.
Start proactively disclosing all information of public interest, and start swallowing the financial bitterness of hiding the public's business from the public.
If you don't like being on the hook for all these legal costs and liabilities, don't cover up what's really going on at City Hall.
-- Prince George Citizen
