The City of Quesnel has responded to a petition filed in Supreme Court in Vancouver to have the censure and sanctions imposed on the Mayor by City Council lifted.
The response, from June 24th, denies the allegations of Ron Paull in their entirety saying that at all times the city acted in a reasonable and fair manner.
It adds that Council has the clear authority to censure and sanction one of its members.
Those sanctions included removing the Mayor as the city’s CRD and Northern Development Initiative Trust representative, as well as from city committees and Indigenous Relations, and removing his travel and lobbying budget.
Paull is accused of trying to distribute a controversial book Grave Error: How the Media Misled Us (and the truth about Residential Schools) to at least two individuals at a CRD meeting.
He denies the allegation.
The response from the city talks about the importance of the relationship between the city and local Indigenous Nations, adding that a Memorandum of Understanding that was signed by Council with the Lhtako Dene Nation set out principles such as mutual respect, recognition and reconciliation.
It says the Mayor has damaged the relationship between the city and surrounding Indigenous communities.
The response says that Council members are governed by a Code of Conduct and Ethics Policy that they all signed, saying that the public expects a responsive and informed local government with the highest standards of professional conduct from members elected to it, including being respectful.
The City states that the petition should be dismissed by the court with costs payable to the City.
There is no word yet on when a hearing will take place.
–Files by George Henderson, My Cariboo Now
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