Ombudsman has last laugh in raucous debate at city council
Tears and accusations fly, but in the end council accepts advice on hiring
The attack on ombudsman Fiona Crean lasted nearly five hours as council debated her biting rebuke of the civic appointments process — which, among other things, accused the mayor’s office of interfering — yet when the voting bells rang, her recommendations were approved unanimously.
Council voted 38-0in favour of Crean’s recommendations, which included better resources for city staff, a more structured chain of command for policy implementation and a better system to report applicants’ conflicts of interest, both perceived and real.
Despite the rosy outcome, the council debate was one of the most dramatic of Mayor Rob Ford’s term, with screaming accusations of wrongdoing directed at the right, the left and Crean herself.
Councillors Janet Davis and Shelley Carroll both teared up, and Councillor Mike Del Grande said his colleagues were fighting like “alley cats.” He then walked off the council floor.
Last week, Crean released a scathing report that found Ford’s office inappropriately interfered with the process that picks civilians to serve on 120 city boards and agencies. One of the most damaging pieces of evidence was the alleged existence of a list of preferred candidates distributed by Ford’s office.
Crean could never find a physical copy and subsequently said she could not confirm its existence. But the suggestion infuriated members of Ford’s inner circle.
Councillor Doug Ford charged that much of Crean’s evidence was “hearsay.” One of his major concerns was that she did not include the names of those she interviewed, which is standard practice in any ombudsman’s report.
Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti accused Crean of having “political motivations.”
Councillor and Speaker Frances Nunziata alleged that Crean purposely did not include comments from right-wingers in her report and that members of the left had put her up to the investigation.
Councillor Michelle Berardinetti questioned Crean’s objectivity, inquiring why she had posted media coverage of her report on the web- site, which portrayed the mayor unfavourably.
The tiny-framed Crean stood calmly at the podium throughout, sidestepping attempts to draw her into a direct fight. Over and over, she said her evidence was absolutely not hearsay and everyone interviewed spoke under oath. Each had direct, first-hand knowledge, she said. Speaking afterwards, Crean brushed off the accusations.
“I’m simply doing my job and investigating accusations of malad- ministration and wrongdoing. It has absolutely nothing to do with political stripes,” she said. In an impassioned speech, leftwing councillor Joe Mihevc praised Crean’s bravery. “It would have been very easy for her to duck . . . She could have ducked like many folks around here do,” he said. “The lesson for me here is: bravery is going to get you a few shots in the head . . . This issue speaks to the illness that is prevalent in this place.”