Activist wants parental leave for councillors before fall election

When Hamilton mom and community activist Nrinder Nann goes to vote in the municipal election in the fall, she wants to see more parents with young children like her on the ballot.

“How many councillors actually have young children?” she thought.

A bit of research led her to a startling discovery about a big barrier for people with young families seeking public office.

“There is actually no parental leave for elected officials and this has been an issue that has slowly been rising to awareness,” she said.

The oversight in the Municipal Act is in the process of being amended by a private member’s bill brought forward by Kitchener Centre MPP Daiene Vernile. The bill that passed second reading in October 2016 guarantees city councillors up to 20 weeks off for pregnancy, birth or adoption.

It would require municipalities to have a policy on pregnancy and parental leave for council members in place by March 1, 2019.

“Wait a minute,” said Nann. “Why would we wait until after the municipal election? Let’s do it well in advance of this upcoming election, so if there are any candidates out there who would consider saying, ‘Yes’ to running if they knew this kind of leave was in place.”

Nann lives in Ward 3 and approached her city councillor, Matthew Green, about getting a policy in place before the election Oct 22.

Green, who has a 20-month-old son, readily agreed to put forward a motion that city staff report back to the general issues committee by May 1 with a draft parental leave bylaw establishing 20 weeks leave for pregnancy, childbirth and adoption for elected officials with full salary, benefits and compensation.

In addition, it would outline a procedure for the councillor to determine the best approach for providing interim coverage.

“I think it’s time in society and in community where we define the value of parental leave in the early stages of a child’s life.”

Green says he’s had many conversations with “really qualified candidates” who tell him they feel they have to wait until they are done having kids to run for office.

“We shouldn’t discount women in their child-rearing years from leadership.”

The motion, with no firm date to go to council, was announced by Nann at the Women’s March Forward rally Saturday at city hall.