Back a law to recall crooked pols

‘Politics is off the rails in Ontario’—Greens

By Becky Smit –

Support for legislation to recall provincial and municipal officials was endorsed by Green Party of Ontario members at their annual convention in Oshawa over the weekend.

“Politics is off the rails in Ontario. The status quo isn’t working, and Greens want to empower citizens to get rid of corrupt politicians,” says Schreiner. “We need a way to get rid of elected officials who betray public trust.”

The Green Party is calling for legislation modeled after British Columbia’s The Recall and Initiative Act. The resolution also calls on the province to provide enabling legislation for municipalities to establish a process for recalling elected officials.

“The circus surrounding the mayor of London shows why we need recall legislation for municipalities,” says Kevin Labonte, GPO candidate for London North Centre and sponsor of the resolution. “When elected officials put their personal interests ahead of the public trust, voters should have a way of removing them without waiting for an election.”

British Columbia enacted representative recall in 1995. British Columbians have launched 22 recall efforts but none have led to the recall of an elected member. One representative, Paul Reitsma, resigned in 1998 when it looked like the petition to recall him would have enough signatures to force a recall election.

“People are tired of self-interested politicians who put power ahead of the public,” says Schreiner. “The threat of being recalled will increase accountability and give people a way to take action against politicians who delete emails or accept improper payments.”