Bullying and harassment was among the key topics of discussion as municipal leaders from across the country gathered in Calgary last week for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference and Trade Show.
President of MNL Amy Coady says the issue is one that local municipalities have been grappling with for some time, and it was alarming to know that it’s a problem faced by elected officials across the country.
“You’re in a room with 3,200 other municipal officials, to hear that it’s happening in every municipality is very, very scary,” she told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly.
Coady says the issue is a serious one and it goes beyond bad behavior and abiding by the rules of a civil society.
“One of the statements that was made at the conference this weekend that really hit home for me is that it’s democracy that’s at stake,” says Coady. That’s because people are stepping down early, not offering themselves for election, or re-election because they don’t want to deal with the abuse.