Commission Counsel William C. McDowell,
Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP, Barristers,
130 Adelaide Street West, Suite 2600,
Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3P5.

Hi there,

I am writing a request for standing at the upcoming Judicial Inquiry.

The City of Mississauga’s RESOLUTION 0271-2009 states that [emphasis mine]:

the terms of reference of the inquiry shall be:

To inquire into all aspects of the transactions and matters described in the aforesaid recitals, their history and their impact on the Corporation of the City of Mississauga as they relate to the good government of the municipality, or the conduct of its public business, and to make any recommendations that the Commissioner may deem appropriate and in the public interest as a result of the inquiry.

I’ve read the draft “CITY OF MISSISSAUGA JUDICIAL INQUIRY RULES OF PROCEDURE” and it states [emphasis mine]:

“The Commissioner encourages anyone who may have information that may be helpful to the Inquiry, including documents and the names of witnesses, to provide this information to the Office of Commission Counsel at Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP, 130 Adelaide Street West, Suite 2600, Toronto, ON, M5H 3P5.”

I’m convinced that I “may have information that may be helpful”.

It also states [emphasis mine]:

“The Commissioner may grant standing to people who satisfy him that they have a substantial and direct interest in the subject matter of the Inquiry or whose participation may be helpful to the Commission in fulfilling its mandate. The Commissioner will determine on what terms standing may be granted.”

I have been researching/investigating the Corporation of the City of Mississauga since June 14, 2006.

Research includes sitting in on Council meetings, General Committee meetings, Budget Committee meetings –and most importantly Audit Committee meetings, all since 2006. The vast majority of these proceedings are on videotape.

I’m quite confident that I have the most complete video record of Council debates pertaining to Enersource as well as all public meetings.

Above all, I’ve been researching various aspects of City of Mississauga governance through Freedom of Information (FOI) since February 2007.

It is this material –these FOI documents (especially Staff emails) that reveals a Jekyll/Hyde style of governance of astounding duplicity.

Freedom of Information reveals a local government fronted by a smiling Corporate “We Lead Canada in Management” Jekyll public face –and the Reality (the Mister Hyde Corporate philosophy/practices that I’m convinced are a Root of Youth Violence that likely play out their harm in far too many Canadian municipalities).

These data (especially videotape of Audit Committees) confirm that City of Mississauga Mayor and Councillors have little knowledge of what Staff/Departments do (and have even less control).

More importantly what my Freedom of Information material coupled with videotape evidence of Mississauga Audit/General/Council meetings strongly suggest is that when Mississauga Staff say/write something, only the naive would believe it.

Freedom of Information has confirmed numerous examples of City of Mississauga doublespeak:

“that was never substantiated” meaning “we never investigated “, “appropriate action” meaning “what’s in the best interests of The Corporation”

Video/emails confirm that Mississauga Staff are masters at avoiding the simple “Yes/No” question. (The most spectacular example occurred at the November 25, 2009 Council meeting when Mississauga Community Services turned itself into a pretzel attempting to avoid admitting “No” to Council’s simple and innocuous question, “Was the Library Board consulted?”)

It’s this duplicitous “Trust, Quality, Excellence” Corporate Culture that your judicial inquiry will be dealing with. You need to know that from the start!

“Knowledge is Power”. Few would argue.

Direct observation as well as Freedom of Information details the degree to which Mississauga City Staff control the Knowledge. And also control what Knowledge they wish to share with Mayor and Councillors on any matter coming before Council.

Delving deeper into Corporate Reports before Council, Freedom of Information has confirmed City Staff’s fabrication of information, suppression of information, and a systemic, chronic disrespect for truth –and for public service.

For their part, Mississauga’s Mayor and Councillors do their best to avoid investigating Staff’s less than stellar Trust, Quality Excellence conduct, even when irrefutable evidence is presented on matters of considerable urgency.

Master message-manipulators. Willful blindness.

One toxic mix.

Recently I attended the Ontario Ombudsman’s “Sharpen Your Teeth III” an advanced training course for administrative watchdogs. I was the only citizen in attendance.

Ontario Ombudsman, Andre Marin drove home the following bottom-line to his “Sharpen Your Teeth III” participants.

“At the end of the day is this issue credible?”

Almost three years’ worth of Freedom of Information documents forces me to ask, “At the end of the day is it logical to accept anything that Mississauga Staff (or former Staff) might testify at this Judicial Inquiry as ‘credible’?”

Good luck to you. Mississaugans (and Canadians) deserve the TRUTH.

Ursula Bennett
MISSISSAUGAWATCH
www.mississaugawatch.ca

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