Ottawa Mayor Charged With Bribery

[AlvinofDiaspar]

From the Globe:

Ottawa Mayor charged with bribery
CAMPBELL CLARK

Globe and Mail Update

December 10, 2007 at 11:03 AM EST

OTTAWA — Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien has been charged with trying to bribe an opponent to quit the 2006 mayoralty race.

The charges are expected to cast the city administration of Canada's capital into turmoil, but there is no indication that any federal Conservative politician will be implicated.

One-time mayoral candidate Terry Kilrea has alleged that Mr. O'Brien tried to persuade him to drop out of last year's mayoral race with a promise of a federal appointment to the National Parole Board.

The Ontario Provincial Police charged Mr. O'Brien on Monday with two offences under the Criminal Code – illegally offering a benefit by having or pretending to have influence with the government or a minister, and illegally negotiating an appointment.

Ottawa mayor Larry O'Brien has been charged with allegedly trying to bribe an opponent to drop out of mayoralty race

Each charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in jail. He was charged by summons and is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 9.

Earlier this year, Mr. Kilrea swore an affidavit in which he said that Mr. O'Brien suggested that John Baird, the Ottawa political minister in the Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government and now Environment Minister, might facilitate an appointment.

But Mr. Kilrea stated that Mr. O'Brien then told him he had spoken to former MP John Reynolds, the Conservative national campaign chairman, and that Mr. Kilrea's name had been placed â€in the queue†for an appointment.

Both Mr. Baird and Mr. Reynolds denied taking part in any such discussions.

The nature of one of the charges – that Mr. O'Brien may have only pretended to have influence with a minister – and the fact that no federal politician is charged suggest that the OPP may rest their case on an allegation that Mr. O'Brien claimed to sway his opponent by pretending he had influence to obtain an appointment.

AoD

 

[Zephyr]

I have often wondered the actual strategy that so handily defeated frontrunner Alex Munter in the election once Terry Kilrea dropped out.

Everyone says it was the work of former Kilrea people who went over to Larry O'Brien.

All I know is that O'Brien has a horrible record on Environmental issues, and is taking a page out of recent Ottawa scandals to indicate exactly what he is all about.

 

[Hydrogen]

Munter helped to defeat himself. He started out well and then rapidly got off message. For example, he was vocal against the O-Train plan - which he supported - and that managed to confuse many people.

The attraction to O'Brien was the age-old issue of financial management. Many suburbanites saw city taxes constantly increasing (Ottawa pays considerably more in municipal taxes than Toronto, but also benefits greatly from the largesse of the NCC), and did not see new or improved services coming from those taxes. They also believed that O'Brien would be a strong mayor because of his business experience. Unfortunately, O'Brien showed up without a plan, could not achieve a freeze on taxes, cancelled the O-Train, killed the idea of a much-needed new main library branch, and has generally failed to bring the leadership to council that everyone thought he would.

I'm not sure what terrible environmental record O'Brien has acquired, though. While O'Brien has shown himself to be a poor mayor so far, Kilrea has always been nothing but a blow-hard conservative (as I'm sure many local Ottawa conservatives are now discovering this fact).

 

[unimaginative2]

If convicted, O'Brien will surely have to resign. Even if he doesn't, the election result would surely be vacated and a new election called. This could be interesting. I'm guessing that Munter would be back in it, and would likely be the initial front-runner. I hope he's learned his lesson about the O-Train.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Oh, dear. This may not reflect well on Uncle Tom Baird when he gets back from ruining the country's reputation in Bali.

 

[Zephyr]

I'm not sure what terrible environmental record O'Brien has acquired ...

Let us start our disagreement this way:

Ottawa mayor a 'laggard' on environmental issues: report

CBC News

Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien's voting record on environmental issues shows a lack of leadership in that area, according to a report card issued by local environmental groups. ... "Almost two-thirds of Ottawa city councillors received a better grade on this report card than the mayor did," said Graham Saul, a spokesman for Ecology Ottawa. "So it appears like he's more of a laggard rather than a leader on environmental issues."

SOURCE​

 

[Hydrogen]

First, the judgement of being a laggard is hardly equal to having a "terrible" record.

Second, a spokesperson from Ecology Ottawa or the Sierra Club is hardly an unbiased source.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

AP:

I am still waiting for John Baird to pull a Larry Craig.

AoD

 

[Zephyr]

First, the judgement of being a laggard is hardly equal to having a "terrible" record.

Second, a spokesperson from Ecology Ottawa or the Sierra Club is hardly an unbiased source.

Let me respond in reverse to your objections. You stated that you were "... not sure what terrible environmental record O'Brien has acquired." Was that a call to an objective response after the expression of an opinion? After I got that uncertainty in your response, bordering on incredulity, I was merely pointing to others who earlier had made a negative case that Mr. O'Brien was 'laggard,' just to illustrate that this environmental complaint had not come out of thin air.

I do go one step further than they did, and it will not be the first or the last time. And that difference is not off the charts in saying that he was terrible not just laggard. Afterall, he has a record and pattern that is well documented, and that is what the rating is based upon. But here is the nuance - from a comparative standpoint, he was in the minority on a number of environmental issues among a group not known for being environmentally friendly. In addition, he has assumed a leadership/executive role for which this type of lack of leadership indeed carries him down a notch in my book.

If you think it is not terrible, or even laggard - and I suspect you do - what would you think of his environmental record, based on what you do know? And if your response is not biased, maybe I can learn from it, for future reference.

 

[Hydrogen]

You appear to be agonized by this one issue, Zephyr. You have not stated what the content of his terrible record is. If there is no specific content or agenda, then there is no record upon which to speak. Many councillors get good marks solely on the basis of hot air propositions, and nothing more.

As for being a laggard, so defined by Ecology Ottawa and the Sierra Club, then that is according to only their measures of what they consider the correct agenda. It is not an objective measure. For example, when they deem him a failure on transit issues, then they should not forget to name Alex Munter and Transport 2000 for damaging the future of that proposed system as well.

 

[Zephyr]

Please answer this question first:

"If you think it is not terrible, or even laggard - and I suspect you do - what would you think of his environmental record, based on what you do know?"

I am sitting here with the hard copy of the report, in hand, with no way as yet to get it to you.

The issues are as follows:

1. Appropriate Budget Funding to Implement the 2003 Air Quality and Climate Change and Management Plan
   
2. Incentives for Buildings that meet LEED environmental standards
   
3. Cap OC Transpo fare increases at 2%
   
4. Maintenance of Funding for Citizens for Safe Cycling
   
5. Establishment of Source-Separated Organics Program
   
6. Establishment of Citywide Giveaway Day
   
7. Protection of the Tallwood Woods and lobbying for increased protection of other natural areas of significance
   
8. Prohibiting unnecessary vehicle idling

 

[Zephyr]

Edit - Double Post

 

[Hydrogen]

If you think it is not terrible, or even laggard - and I suspect you do - what would you think of his environmental record, based on what you do know?

So what you are saying is that you don't know his record on this issue.

 

[Zephyr]

So what you are saying is that you don't know his record on this issue.

Hydrogen - I have always known his record. See revised post above. The question is do you know his record? And if so, how do you judge that record, especially since you view it as necessarily biased? We already know how Ecology Ottawa has judged it, and my opinion on that conclusion. etc. I don't know why you presume I don't know the detail - and just repeat newspaper clippings without prior investigation.

I will give you my personal guarantee that if I can find an internet copy of the report that details above I will place it here, or as a last resort, I'll hand-type what I have in hand.

 

[Hydrogen]

I've been using the word terrible when you actually used horrible.

All I know is that O'Brien has a horrible record on Environmental issues, and is taking a page out of recent Ottawa scandals to indicate exactly what he is all about.

By who's measure is his record horrible; yours or Ecology Ottawa? How are you defining horrible? Is the environment of Ottawa measurably worse off than before he was elected?

I'm saying that he hardly has a record on environmental issues. Then again, he hardly has a record of success on any of issues for which he was elected. An empty beer glass is not a horrible glass of beer; it is an empty glass of beer. There is nothing there to judge. That is my opinion.

Your opinion is formed on the basis of two non-elected interest groups who have a specific agenda in mind, and that's fine. That the mayor and council has not fulfilled what these specific groups demand means that the mayor and council has not met the demands of these groups.

I noted the pre-edit version.