Hallelujah! City councillors are finally getting sensitivity training.
Unfortunately, it took a nasty event to get this in motion.
A week ago, I received a message from a Facebook friend about an inappropriate YouTube posting on Ward 4 Councillor Stephen Orser’s website entitled The Pussycat Song which was riddled with offensive double entrendres.
When confronted about the posting, Orser blamed a female friend who had access to his Facebook page. According to an interview with Pat Maloney of The London Free Press, Orser says he has “learned one thing — nobody else goes on my computer”.
Perhaps. But it would not be the first time that this councillor has been associated with questionable material on the internet. Some months ago, a very vulgar diatribe was posted under his name in response to an LFP article critical of him. When another councillor and I raised concerns about it with him, he claimed that it had been posted by a female friend who had had too much to drink. He called the Free Press to have it removed.
Last year, council supported a motion to beef up the Code of Conduct for councillors and its enforcement. We also included in the 2010 budget provision for the implementation of the services of an integrity commissioner. Neither has yet occurred.
It is ironic that only last week a member of the public who had recently been appointed to the London Transit Commission got in trouble for using a crude term when referring to Orser via Twitter. That appointee immediately offered his resignation. It was accepted.
He is a young person with no experience in the position.
Orser is a middle aged man, the father of a young child, and has had four years to learn how to behave in his public position.
Double entendre? Or double standard?
For the LFP article, click here.
7 comments:
Gina,
During discussion of Mr. Wilkinson's appointment there was mention of the need to get more young people involved in the political process. Well, we can hardly expect politically inexperienced and naive young people not to make any mistakes. It was a learning curve for experienced politicians also, they probably just choose not to remember that. If we're going to invite young people to come forward, then don't we have a responsibility to mentor them?
Would it be fair to say that Steve's chicks have come home to roost?
Am I the only one who thinks it is strange that Orser leaves his computer on when he is entertaining? He is a city councillor and that means he could have city confidential stuff on the computer (which is probably a city computer at that) which anyone could see. If the song was posted without his knowledge (yeah, right) to his Facebook page, doesn't that mean it was left open as well? What else is left open to anyone to wander in and see? Someone from the city should grab his city PC and see what other crap is on his C drive!
Good ol' hypocritical Gina Barber, at her worst. At the TVO Agenda Camp a few months ago, Gina openly protested having discussions about male victims of domestic violence, as well as London's general bias against male victims of DV. It is Gina herelf who needs sensitivity training.
This is a non issue Gina your simply manufacturing a controversy.This is logically part of a elaborate scheme by yourself and some of your friends to further a character and political assassination,with very asinine grounds,by using your friends in the media and power circles to do so.Shame on you and your holier than thou deluded morals and self entitled attitude.
Brad,
If I recall correctly, you simply failed to get people to participate in your discussion group. I had my own workshop on age-friendly cities to facilitate.
In the spring of 2010, Brad and several others hosted an excellent seminar on a Saturday at the downtown library, the topic was violence and abuse of males, and included bullying as well which seems to be very prevalent now in society. Males are bullied by both males and females. The speakers were excellent and world-class.
Thank you Brad for all of your work.
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