City councillors warned about ‘disruptive, disrespectful’ behaviour

ABOVE: Toronto’s city councillors have been told to behave. Jackson Proskow reports. 

TORONTO – City council speaker Frances Nunziata is reminding councillors to do-away with the theatrics and be on their best behaviour while at Toronto City Hall.

Nunziata sent the three-page letter to the city’s elected officials on Friday reminding councillors to behave and act accordingly.

Monday’s meeting is the first time all councillors have been inside chambers since Mayor Rob Ford was stripped of most of his powers last month.

The Nov. 18 council meeting saw Ford mimic drinking and driving while also inadvertently knocking over Councillor Pam McConnell while he was trying to run across council chambers.

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong also accused the mayor of charging at him during that November meeting and on Monday described Ford as a “schoolyard bully.”

“I thought I handled myself appropriate, I sat in my chair and I didn’t take the bait as it were, I think the mayor was acting like a schoolyard bully and I thought that was highly inappropriate,” he said, adding that the mayor’s behaviour brought unwanted attention on the city. “I’d rather have CNN cover the city on different circumstances.”

The letter titled, “Conduct in the Chamber,” goes over the responsibilities of councillors and how one acts as a representative of the electorate.

“I have been approached by several members of council about the disruptions that occurred at the November meetings of city council,” Nunziata wrote. “Disruptive, disrespectful and unparliamentary behaviour reflects poorly on city council, and undermines public confidence in our ability to govern.”

Councillor Gloria Lindsay-Luby said it was obvious Nunziata’s letter weren’t directed to every member of council but only the few that like “theatrics” on the council floor.

“We will have to wait and see to see if people remember that, if certain individuals remember what she’s asked them, but you never know around here,” she said. “You get up in the morning and you just never know what the heck is going to happen today.”

Council is expected to debate various issues at the meeting that include among others, fees for sports fields, reducing traffic congestion, the David Mirvish proposal to build condo towers on King Street West, and overrun construction costs at Union Station.