Ontario municipalities pressing for stronger powers to discipline unethical councillors will have to wait yet again, as the provincial government continues to delay long-promised reforms to municipal codes of conduct.
Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra had signalled earlier this year that legislation would be ready by late summer and shared at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in August. But as the conference wrapped up this week, no bill was introduced, leaving local leaders frustrated and without a clear timeline.
The province says it is still waiting for advice from Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner. Calandra acknowledged in the spring that drafting the legislation was more complicated than expected, prompting further consultations. In June, Premier Doug Ford formally asked the Integrity Commissioner to provide recommendations on standardizing municipal integrity systems and codes of conduct across Ontario.
Ford described the commissioner’s role as essential in ensuring accountability and transparency, noting that rules governing councillor behaviour currently vary widely from one municipality to another.
A report from the Integrity Commissioner is now expected sometime this fall, according to the premier’s office. Spokesperson Grace Lee said the government is consulting with multiple ministries and municipalities to determine how best to strengthen and align standards provincewide.
For years, municipalities have argued that existing rules are outdated and ineffective, particularly when it comes to workplace harassment and abusive behaviour. While councils can suspend a councillor’s pay for limited periods, they say there are no meaningful consequences for repeat or severe misconduct, including the ability to remove an offender from office.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario submitted detailed proposals for reform in 2021, and reports later suggested a government bill was nearly ready under former minister Steve Clark. Its continued absence has only intensified pressure on the current government.
That pressure became more visible in recent weeks after Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe and several councillors publicly urged the province to close what they called a “glaring loophole” in the Municipal Act. Their appeal followed controversy involving Pickering Coun. Lisa Robinson, who appeared on a far-right online program where the host made violent and defamatory remarks about other members of council.
Robinson has previously faced 30- and 60-day pay suspensions after the city’s integrity commissioner found she engaged in cyberbullying, intimidation, and made homophobic and transphobic comments. Since the latest incident, Coun. Mara Nagy says the atmosphere has worsened dramatically.
“After this, I started receiving death threats,” Nagy said, adding that provincial action is urgently needed. “We can’t keep waiting.”
Robinson, for her part, has argued that the sanctions and criticism are attempts to silence her political views.
Elsewhere, Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath said the continued delay is troubling, pointing out that municipal councils function as workplaces, even if the employees are elected officials.
“When there are no effective rules, people are left exposed and unsafe,” Horwath said.
Advocacy groups have also stepped up calls for reform. The non-partisan group Women of Ontario Say No has warned that municipalities across the province lack adequate tools to address harassment and abuse within council chambers.
“The idea is very basic,” said group member Emily McIntosh at an earlier news conference. “No one should go to work and be abused. Municipal politicians should be held to the same standards as every other worker in Ontario.”
The issue has also surfaced at Queen’s Park. Liberal MPP Stephen Blais previously introduced a private member’s bill that would have allowed councillors to be removed from office for violating workplace harassment or violence policies and could have blocked them from seeking re-election. The Progressive Conservative government voted it down, saying it would bring forward its own legislation.
Until that happens, municipalities remain caught between growing public concern and limited authority waiting for provincial action that many say is long overdue.
