Wadsworth Just As Adept At Playing The Blame Game

Leave! Or I'll pop a button in your eye!

When asked by the Almaguin News about the police being called to eject Jeff Johnston (jr.) from the Budget Meeting on May 11th, Deputy Mayor Wadsworth was quick to blame staff. According to the Almaguin News, Wadsworth said that according to the information she had, provided to her by town staff, videotaping is not allowed unless recognized by the chair for the purposes of asking a question and taping the response to the question. Wadsworth said she did not look up the policy; she was going on information supplied by staff at the time.

In fairness to Wadsworth, the Almaguin News also reported that town clerk Yvonne Aubichon stated that, while the Town of Kearney does not have a policy regarding video recording at meetings, decorum is addressed in the procedural by-law. Selectively, but we'll get to that.

Ms. Aubichon talks a good game to the press, but she's never objected to the mayor videotaping unsuspecting members of the public. Last year after Mayor Tomlinson posted pictures of the Johnston family on the internet with the intent to generate ill will against them, Ms. Aubichon (and council) was silent. And when Jeff Jr. (after seeing pictures of kids at McManus beach posted on the internet by Mayor Tomlinson) wrote the town seeking assurances that the mayor would not secretly photograph/videotape him or his family, Ms. Aubichon (and council) was silent. Then, Mayor Tomlinson secretly videotaped Jeff Sr. and posted it on the internet and sent copies to council. Ms. Aubichon and council remained silent. This is what's called "tacit approval". If you say nothing and continue to allow the behaviour to continue, then you are tacitly approving of that behaviour. ("All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.")

So Town Clerk Aubichon (whose job it is to ensure council colours within the lines), approves of the mayor secretly taking pictures and video of people at meetings, and out in public. Unless she wants to pull out all those stern memos she's been firing off to Tomlinson that we don't know about. (Retroactive memos don't count).

But this is all moot. According to former mayor Johnston (sr.), the town of Kearney has always allowed photography, video, and audio-taping at town meetings in the interest of an open and transparent government. It is a de facto policy, in that it's not in writing, but rather an officially sanctioned and openly practiced policy, so a policy nonetheless. The previous council even tried audio-taping their meetings, but sound quality was too poor. And as we've mentioned before, Barry Dingwall himself asked council to take the video policy even further and stream meetings live on the internet "in the interest of an open and transparent government" so he's certainly been aware of the policy. Nobody objected to scores of people (including the mayor) videotaping and photographing the All Candidates Meeting in 2010, which showcased Tomlinson, Wadsworth, Dingwall, and others who now sit on council. Although, Tomlinson did make a fuss later when a bit of video surfaced from the meeting and he sent out a mass "Aha!" email, with pictures of one member of the public videotaping someone else, accusing him of "being the blog". Sadly, Paul failed to notice that behind "the culprit" and his family were a pile of other people obviously taking pictures and video and his email amounted to little more than a good laugh all around. Except for "the culprit" and his family who didn't appreciate being publicly denigrated by "Yours Truly, Mayor Paul Tomlinson, Corporation of the Town of Kearney".

Anyway, back to Wadsworth. She and Tomlinson both sat on council during the last term and both know that council allows videotaping. Wadsworth (and the rest of them) also knows that in order to change a policy (even a de facto policy) a member of council must table a motion at a regular council meeting and put it to a vote. If the vote passes, council creates a by-law prohibiting videotaping, etc. Which is probably why she originally gave permission for Jeff Jr. to videotape her meeting. It was only after (here's the bit about "decorum") Wadsworth's husband Cam and his friend Jim Skelton (who were behind Jeff and not being videotaped) jumped up and started yelling about it (quickly followed by Tomlinson and Dingwall) did Deputy Mayor Wadsworth change her mind. But Wadsworth had neither the legal authority to permit videotaping nor to prevent it; It's town policy. Nor did she have the legal authority to have Mr. Johnston threatened with arrest and barred from the community centre. But then, democracy (as is decorum) in Kearney is deader than disco.

And where's Pauldo in all this? He's bravely hiding out in Proudfoot, courageously telling the Almaguin News (via voicemail no less) to leave him alone and go after Wadsworth because she chaired the meeting so it's all her fault. Proudfoot solidarity in action.

Are you surprised?