THE WOMEN OF ONTARIO SAY NO

History & Context

The Ontario government introduced legislation to mandate that employers have a Workplace Violence and Harassment policy. This legislation underscored the rights of all persons to be safe at work. Yet, municipally elected representatives have essentially experienced immunity, by virtue of public election.

Bill 5 - The Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act was voted down on May 31, 2023.

It had all party support in 2021.

Watch the debate here.

We have been calling on the government since October 2022 for government legislation on this issue.

In June 2024, Bill 207- The Municipal Accountability and Integrity Act was introduced to keep the pressure on the government to pass its own legislation.

A majority government can pass complex legislation in less than four weeks.

The government completed consultations on this in 2021. Not only did the current government not pass its own legislation to address this human rights protection gap, they also did not prioritize The Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act.

We need legislation to address this glaring gap, and we need it now. We are asking for the government to pass its own legislation (or to prioritize Bill 207 as a viable alternative).

Bill 207 incorporates the following best practices:

A Board of Integrity Commissioners is established by the Province.

It eliminates the role of council in passing judgement on an IC recommendation for removal. Any recommendations will go straight from the IC Board for judicial review.

It includes adherence to anti-discrimination policies, as well as violence and harassment policies.