Lots of learning to doMayor Larry a political
work in progress
by Susan Shering
It's been more than six months since Mayor Larry
O'Brien was sworn in, swept to power on a promise of change, while all
incumbents were re-elected. What exactly does that mean about what the
public wanted?
No one knows for sure.
But the balance between change and maintaining a steady course hasn't
been easy for this group of 24.
Council started the term approving a modified version of former mayor
Bob Chiarelli's light rail plan, then killed it when the funding wasn't
properly in place.
Seven months later, they're no further ahead, though O'Brien fulfilled a
promise to set up a task force to come up with a new plan. The report is
done, but we're light years away from having anything solid in place.
On top of that, the city is now facing a $175-million lawsuit from the
Seimens consortium which was initially awarded the contract, then had
the rug pulled out from under it.
On the financial front, council came close to bringing in a tax freeze,
but still hiked user fees.
Much of council's time over the past few weeks was dominated by
O'Brien's plans for transforming the way business is done at City Hall.
Can you see a difference?
So, what makes a good municipal politician?
That's easy. Good councillors who work hard for their constituents, but
who also understand they're not just ward councillors and must also work
as team players for the good of the entire city.
So, who makes the grade, and who needs to spend more time doing their
homework? Here's how your city council stacks up:
LARRY O'BRIEN
Mayor
C-
O'Brien won the hearts and votes of Ottawans who liked his pledges to
kill light rail and freeze taxes.
But it seems voters are already less enamoured with O'Brien than when
they paid a visit to the polls.
Small wonder. His efforts are hit-and-miss. And despite some tough talk,
his office continues to be dogged by the ongoing OPP investigation, with
councillors now engaging in lots of backroom gossip about who could
replace O'Brien, if necessary.
There are signs everywhere that O'Brien is failing to grasp that without
building alliances with both staff and council, he's just one vote
without much more influence than any other councillor around the table.
If he doesn't soon get that concept, he's doomed to failure.
Make no mistake about it, the charm is still there by the bucket. But
O'Brien ran without any real vision for the city and still doesn't seem
to have one.
He relies on his handlers too often to dictate when he can talk and what
he should say. Is he afraid of the media, or do his handlers believe
he'll misspeak?
MEDIA GUY
Want to know what he thinks about an issue? That's routinely handled by
his "media guy" Mike Patton -- the only one in his office with any
municipal experience.
And chief-of-staff Walter Robinson, who came on board and promised to
stay in the background, also regularly spoke on O'Brien's behalf. With
Robinson's exit, the mayor needs to act quickly to find someone to
revamp the office and gain control at City Hall.
The mayor is obviously continuing to learn as he goes, though there are
some broken election promises lying in his path.
Still not used to the shenanigans that go on at council, O'Brien showed
his frustration recently, referring to some of the game-playing as
"crap."
No doubt he sometimes looks back fondly on the days when being the boss
meant you actually got to dictate policy.
"It's a lot easier to make money in this city than it is to be involved
in municipal politics," O'Brien said recently.
Georges Bedard
Rideau-Vanier
B+
Bedard is a strong councillor who is kept hopping in his downtown ward.
He's not afraid to ruffle feathers when that's called for, but doesn't
waste time -- as so many of his colleagues do -- looking for ways to
stab his fellow councillors in the back.
He knows when to speak at council, and when he does talk, he almost
always makes sense -- even when you don't buy into his left-leaning way
of thinking.
Michel Bellemare
Beacon Hill-Cyrville
C-
Michel who? When Bellemare announced he was seeking the Liberal
nomination in the federal riding of Ottawa-Orleans, it created barely a
ripple. Could it have been few felt his absence would be noticed? There
are some signs that Bellemare knows his stuff, but he needs to step up
to the plate and share it with the rest of us.
Rainer Bloess
Innes
B+
A senior city councillor, Bloess sat on the sidelines as the chairs of
the committees were being chosen, willing to let others carry the burden
of leadership, seemingly content to sit back and watch his colleagues
self-destruct. That's too bad. His leadership could have been used this
term. But he continues to be the media's darling by always making
himself readily available, knowledgeable and articulate. Being bilingual
doesn't hurt either.
Bloess learned who his friends were when he missed out on an important
light-rail vote while on a cruise.
His misstep was greeted with virtual cries of delight from some on
council who feel Bloess gets an easy ride in the media. What they fail
to realize is the councillor is hard-working, knows his stuff -- and has
a strong vision for both his ward and the city. That's hard to come by.
Glenn Brooks
Rideau-Goulbourn
C+
Brooks does lots of things right at council.
To his great credit, he's one of the few who doesn't engage in the
nonsense that so often takes place between city councillors -- like
taking credit where it isn't due -- or stabbing backs that aren't
covered.
But to rise above the pack, Brooks is going to have to use what he knows
from his years of serving municipal voters to sway fellow councillors.
That doesn't appear to be about to happen anytime soon.
Rick Chiarelli
College
C+
This councillor is still finding his way under the new regime. He got
overlooked when the important committee chairs and influential committee
members were being chosen by O'Brien and council. That's too bad, he has
a lot to offer, and a dry wit to boot. He's not afraid to speak his
mind, and that's a good thing. Still, he needs to put his considerable
know-how to better use in serving the city instead of grumbling on the
sidelines.
Alex Cullen
Bay
B-
Cullen is quite likely the hardest-working councillor when it comes to
city-wide issues. He spends countless hours researching issues and
working on policy he believes is good for all -- but it often ends up
looking like needless meddling. Though he does care about doing the
right thing for both his ward and the city, Cullen continues to fail to
meet his potential because his tactics get in the way of real progress.
At times, it seems there's a mean streak in Cullen, seeming to take
delight in pointing out other's political or personal misfortune.
Eli El-Chantiry
West Carleton-March
B
This hard-working councillor seems to be having trouble adjusting to the
new regime. Originally shafted out of a spot on the Police Services
Board at the start of the session, the former police chair appeared to
be having difficulty getting over his bitterness. O'Brien has now thrown
him a bone -- and given the rural councillor his spot on the board.
El-Chantiry has grown by leaps and bounds since he was first elected
last term. Unlike some of his fellow rural councillors, El-Chantiry has
an understanding of the needs of the entire city, but never forgets who
elected him.
Diane Deans
Gloucester-Southgate
B
While some of her colleagues sit back and complain behind the mayor's
back, Deans -- a staunch feminist -- isn't afraid to take on Mayor Larry
O'Brien when she feels the need, and is making her mark as the official
opposition. She protects her ward's interests, but is also thoughtful
when it comes to guiding the city into the future. However, she does
have to accept light rail is dead if she really wants to help move the
city ahead. She recently tried to secure the provincial Liberal
nomination in Ottawa Centre, but it wasn't to be. It's time Deans
stopped testing the political waters elsewhere and do what she does
best. That's representing the municipal voters in Ottawa. Her residents
need to know they come first.
Clive Doucet
Capital
C
Doucet wore his heart on his sleeve during the light-rail debate and his
passion on the issue garnered him admirers. Looking like a man defeated,
Doucet appeared close to tears when the project went down in flames.
But by his own admission, Doucet sometimes appears to be on a much
different planet than the rest of council. And while everyone doesn't
have to be cut from the same cloth, until he finds a way to sell his
point of view to the rest of council, he's going to continue to be
nothing more than a lone voice in the wilderness.
Peggy Feltmate
Kanata South
B-
Who knew Feltmate was revving up to stand tough against O'Brien? A
staunch supporter of failed mayoral candidate Alex Munter, Feltmate
recently left one of O'Brien's transformation meetings in frustration.
She's made it clear she won't sit back and watch city services
deteriorate and, as such, isn't a fan of the mayor's commitment to
freeze taxes for the full term of council.
Jan Harder
Barrhaven
B
Harder continues to march to the beat of her own drum and that
apparently is just how her constituents like her. She works with dogged
determination on their behalf -- and has lots of ideas for the city as
well. As is her way, she's thrown herself into her new role as head of
the library board. If she wants to become more of a leader on council,
she'll have to cut down on the complaining about what her colleagues are
or aren't doing and remain focused on the tasks at hand. That's when
she's at her best.
Diane Holmes
Somerset
B
Here's another councillor with so much to offer, but sometimes her
tactics get the better of her.
One of the few with a strong city vision, she's intelligent,
knowledgeable, and takes her job seriously but she can be absolutely
cutting in her public assessment of some of her colleagues -- which
isn't likely to bring any support from the council table.
Peter Hume
Alta Vista
A-
The gold star goes to Hume, who finds himself at the top of the council
class. After years of representing Alta Vista, it seems he's finally
come into his own, perhaps now that he's no longer feeling pressure from
Bob Chiarelli. Hume knows his stuff, is a strong chair at the helm of
the city's planning committee and has shone sitting in for O'Brien
chairing city council. O'Brien, perhaps hearing rumours that Hume has
his eye on the mayor's chair, seems to have soured on him. But Hume is
proving he's not going to let that stop him from working on the business
at hand.
Gord Hunter
Knoxdale-Merivale
B-
It's easy to believe Hunter could do his job with his hands tied behind
his back. One of council's longest serving politicians, he's a wealth of
information about what's been tried and failed, and what worked.
Rob Jellett
Cumberland
B-
Here's another councillor who is beginning to shine without Chiarelli's
pressure tactics in his face.
He balances the interests of his ward -- a mix of urban and rural -- and
usually avoids the rural whine council is too often witness to. An
articulate speaker when he chooses, Jellett is continuing to grow in his
role around the council table.
Jacques Legendre
Rideau-Rockcliffe
C-
Legendre continues to fail to understand that berating city staff
publicly doesn't win friends or influence people. Councillors have been
tuning him out for years, can staff be far behind?
Maria McRae
River
D
It hasn't been a good six months for McRae. Her reputation took a big
hit when it was revealed she'd been meeting with Seimens behind closed
doors talking about their strategy to sue the city over the failed light
rail project.
A catty councillor eager to diss her colleagues, McRae lost even more
credibility when she suggested council should have a dress code around
the council table. So rarely actually sitting at the council table, how
would she even know what her colleagues are wearing?
Her image took another beating when she called on the city to see if the
Sens could pay for part of the security costs incurred during the
Stanley Cup playoffs.
And then there's the revolving door in her office. Small wonder.
Her colleagues are still shaking their heads in wonderment at how McRae
had the gall to question city staff attending Sens' playoff games, when
she herself watched the same game in Waste Management's suite. This
councillor should stop talking conspiracy theories against her. She's
quickly losing all credibility.
Bob Monette
Orleans
B
There's something so incredibly likable about Monette, a hard-working
ward councillor with a vision for the city. What's not to like? He has
respect for the system, doesn't engage in the silliness around him, and
just continues to grow in his role around the council table.
Shad Qadri
Stittsville-Kanata West
B
One of the brightest lights of the new crop of councillors, Qadri hasn't
demonstrated any visible signs of being a newcomer. Strong around
council table, he's not wasting any time making his mark -- he thinks
quickly on his feet, quickly grasps the issues and is media-friendly.
Qadri seems to have immediately understood the importance of being both
a city councillor and a politician responsible for meeting the needs of
his particular ward.
He's broken out a strong pack of newcomers and is the brightest light of
a new group of strong newbies.
Of course, having replaced former Goulbourn mayor Janet Stavinga, Qadri
had nowhere to go but up.
Doug Thompson
Osgoode
C-
Is he likeable? Absolutely. Does he represent the interests of Osgoode
residents? You betcha. Are there any signs he takes his role as a
citywide councillor seriously? None that are discernible.
Marianne Wilkinson
Kanata
B-
Steve Desroches
Gloucester-Southgate
B-
Christine Leadman
Kitchissippi
B-
It's an impressive group of newcomers -- who are already proving
themselves around council. There have been no major stumbles from this
trio, who seem to be finding their way under the heavy workload,
familiarizing themselves with the comings and goings at city hall.
They're taking their time to learn the ropes and the issues -- and you
can expect all three to continue to shine in the months to come,
particularly Wilkinson, who is impressing everyone with her grasp of the
issues -- no doubt in large part because of her years of municipal
experience representing Kanata. |
