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Calgary’s mayor wants to introduce a lobbyist registry to track who is seeking to influence decisions at city hall, after more details emerged this week about an RCMP investigation into allegations of corruption.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he’s working with other councillors on a motion to propose a municipal lobbyist registry, in an effort to improve transparency and public trust in city hall. He noted tracking lobbyists is becoming more important as Calgary grows, and it is already happening in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.
“We need to demonstrate that decisions at city hall are being made in the public interest, and that our institutions are worthy of the confidence Calgarians place in them,” said Farkas.
Farkas discussed his work on the potential registry one day after new details emerged about a corruption probe by the RCMP involving sitting and former city council members.
CBC News first reported in March that the RCMP was investigating allegations of corruption at Calgary city hall, with search warrants executed on a number of properties, including the homes of former mayor Jyoti Gondek, former councillor Sean Chu and sitting councillor Andre Chabot.
Gondek’s lawyer was in court on Wednesday attempting to quash a police application seeking to extend the warrants that allow investigators to keep some of the cellphones seized during the searches.
An affidavit filed by the lead investigator on the case confirmed police are investigating offences that include municipal corruption, obstruction of justice and fabricating evidence. The affidavit said CPS initiated an investigation last year into circumstances surrounding a vote on a proposed land-use bylaw amendment application in the southwest Bankview neighbourhood.
None of the allegations made in the police affidavit have been proven in court. No one has been charged in connection with the investigation.
Farkas said neither city council nor administration has information about the investigation outside of what has been reported publicly.
“Regardless of the outcome, this situation has raised important questions about how influence is exercised at city hall and how decisions are made,” said Farkas.
“Calgarians deserve to know who is seeking to influence public policy, who they are meeting with and on whose behalf they are acting.”
Earlier this year, the Alberta government said it plans to introduce a universal code of conduct for municipalities across the province by the end of the year. Farkas said he will want to work with the province to ensure Calgary’s registry does not conflict with provincial legislation.
‘Headline-grabber false flag’
Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness, who served on the previous council led by Gondek, argued a lobbyist registry would not have effectively caught what the RCMP is investigating.
She also argued Farkas and other councillors who are working on the motion are jumping to conclusions before a police investigation concludes.
“This lobbyist registry is a headline-grabber false flag on solving a problem,” said Wyness.
“They are best-guessing at what the driver is and what happened, and when you go and make policy decisions without allowing the RCMP to conclude their investigation, you are creating problems and opening doors for other negative impacts on council.”
Wyness added city councillors already disclose who they meet with, which could make a lobbyist registry redundant.