Jones Investigation

Uhhhh, how was Councillor Jones "vindicated?" How was the legal cloud removed? All that happened is that the Integrity Commish finally read the statute and figured out he had no authority to investigate without a complaint.

Didn't I say that a long time ago?

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  "Integrity commissioner Earl Basse withdrew the report Monday, saying he did not have jurisdiction to investigate calls between Jones and CUPE Local 543 president Jean Fox...
  
  "It was withdrawn for lack of jurisdiction," Basse said after the closed-door meeting that decided the issue. "There are protocols in place in the Municipal Act that say there must be a complaint to initiate an inquiry. And there was no complaint in this regard, so it was withdrawn. It's over."

Now why didn't the Mayor say that when this matter was first opened up rather than let Councillor Jones be villified and be made to look as if he did something wrong, as if he was the infamous Leakor. The Mayor is a lawyer after all. He should have stopped it cold.

All that has to happen now is for someone to send the Commish a note and it is back on!

I'd like to learn who leaked to the press the whole situation involving the phone records and why. It is so suspicious. I don't remember anyone having been asked to do an affidavit saying he/she was not the leak.

Did the Commish charge us for his time on this? I guess if he did, he better send that money back. It's not our fault if he does not understand his own legal authority.

Fortunately my Integrity Commissioner complaint will now be handled.

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  "Councillors deferred a discussion on the integrity commissioner's annual report at the regular council meeting, but earlier decided they would continue the part-time office.
  
  Basse, whose contract ended Dec. 31, will continue till June."

It's a slam dunk as far as I am concerned, laid out so well that Mr. Basse can understand it quickly and rule in my favour. It won't take months either.

It's a "friend' issue too just like the Jones/Fox matter. Here is another very recent example of what I Blogged about in my 5-part series involving the Mayor and Abe Taqtaq whose family runs the Duty Free Shop at the City-owned Tunnel.

Look how cautious the Mayor is. Mr. Taqtaq was his campaign manager almost three quarters of a decade ago and Edgar (aka Eddie) is still concerned about it.

Now why didn't Edgar mention about his close relationship with Mr. Taqtaq as is so clear in this photo as an example? That is more current than Edgar's first mayoral election campaign.

Is he ashamed of their close friendship for some reason?

Edgar should remember the old rhyme:

Make new friends,
but keep the old.
One is silver,
And the other gold,

I hope that the Integrity Commissioner does too when he makes his decision.