Watson skips e-bus demo fearing conflict of interest

Jim Watson skipped an OC Transpo demonstration of an all-electric bus to avoid concerns that he was using the city transit agency for a campaign event, his office says.

On Thursday, the incumbent mayor released a set of environment-related promises as he seeks re-election on Oct. 22. The list included a pledge to “implement an electric bus pilot project in Ottawa.”

Later that day, the city government invited reporters to a showand-tell at a city garage, where OC Transpo would have an electric bus giving test rides and Watson would take part.

“A demonstration of the technology will take place after brief welcoming remarks. A photo opportunity will be followed by a short scrum,” the media advisory said.

(Many of Watson’s campaign promises are to follow through on things the city is already pursuing. It’s very possible OC Transpo was intending to hold this event anyway.)

The mayor and city councillors are strictly forbidden to use their offices for their re-election campaigns. They aren’t even allowed to send out newsletters or post updates about regular city business to their websites as election day approaches, to avoid the appearance of promoting themselves with public resources.

Confronted with this, Watson changed his mind about the electric-bus demonstration. The city reissued the invitation half an hour before the event Friday, dropping any mention of the mayor.

“Mayor Watson wanted to avoid any perceived conflict with respect to the electric bus event,” spokesman Mathieu Gravel said by email. Watson will go see the bus privately later, he said.