Surrey, B.C., mayor backpedals on controversial motion involving ethics commissioner

In the eleventh hour, the mayor of Surrey, B.C., recommending to remove a motion involving the ethics commissioner.

In the eleventh hour, the mayor of Surrey, B.C., recommending to remove a motion involving the ethics commissioner.

The item was on the agenda for the public hearing Monday, but less than three hours before the meeting was set to begin, Mayor Doug McCallum issued a statement that, instead, he recommended the issue not be discussed.

Everyone voted in favour and it was passed without discussion.

“I am very surprised. Mr. McCallum generally doesn't do things like that. He generally goes ahead no matter what, but the pushback has been enormous – there is no doubt about that,” said Coun. Brenda Locke.

The motion would amend a bylaw to suspend all new ethics complaints for nine months until the municipal election is over.

Critics called it an “affront to democracy.”

“It never should have been on the table to begin with. Politicians should not be hiring an ethics commissioner to do his work, and then flipping the switch and now telling him, ‘You can't do his work.’ That's clearly wrong,” said Coun. Linda Annis.