Ontario Ombudsman releases report

Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin has released his report on Ontario municipal city councils who are not following the sunshine law.

Marin said that:

“We found a marked disparity between municipalities and how they followed the sunshine law rules.
Some councils are modeled with transparency; others are shockingly secretive and even defiant in the place of public complaints.

In this case diversity is not a good thing.
Transparency government should not depend on where you live; it should not depend on the wims of local government.”

Since 2008, Marin’s office received over 500 complaints about municipal meetings.

He highlighted investigations into secretive practices in Hamilton, London, Elliot Lake and several others.

Marin encouraged all municipal councils to keep audio or video records to ensure transparency.