FALLOUT OF FORD ERA
As many families know from experience, the dysfunction of addiction tends to spread beyond the addict himself. It is not surprising, then, to learn from the Toronto Ombudsman’s report that friends and family weren’t the only ones covering up for Rob Ford’s behaviour. City Hall security staff played their part too.
This is one more piece of evidence that shows how a politician’s personal problems can very easily become public business. Of course, not every substance abuser also has the arrogance to demand special treatment — and conversely, some politicians are expert in that kind of manipulation for reasons that may have nothing to do with substance abuse. In all cases, institutions have to be strong enough to push back and stand for transparency and fairness, no matter how affable or charming the politician.
Obviously, going to work every day in a building that includes someone like Rob Ford — especially once the scandals started to escalate and the international media attention increased — presents unusual challenges.
The ombudsman’s report lists incidents such as reports not filed out of a desire not to embarrass the mayor. “On more than one occasion, Security allowed the former Mayor to use an entrance to exit from the underground parking lot, in order to leave City Hall without encountering waiting media. On one of those occasions, a security guard covered a security video camera recording the mayor while he walked, reportedly intoxicated, to his car.”
Perhaps more worryingly, though, this wasn’t just about covering up the mayor’s substance abuse. This was about a blurring of the lines between the mayor’s office and city hall. The security staff seem to have forgotten that they were not working for Rob Ford; they acquiesced when Ford wanted a particular guard assigned to him, and they acquiesced when the mayor’s office wanted a new policy of checking media ID and even denying access. Security did not seem to take some of the mayor’s intimidating behaviour seriously enough, such as when he notoriously rushed through the chamber and knocked down councillor Pam McConnell.
To a degree, some staff at City Hall seem to have taken it into their heads that their job was mainly to protect the mayor, even when that meant protecting him from himself.
This is not a matter of policy and procedure; it’s about a culture of ethical fortitude. When staff witness something, or are asked to do something, they must weigh that not only against the rules but against their own judgment.