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David Miller, Councillor/Mayoral Hopeful

September 4, 2003

Administration Committee Meeting

Councillor Miller was a member of the Administration Committee that was voting on an RFP from Artscape. He is on the board of Artscape, but chose to vote on this and several other occasions where this developer has come up.

Despite such flirtations with conflicts, Candidate Miller promotes this thought on his site

"It all starts with turning City Hall around. We need a City Hall that is run in the public interest ñ an end to the corruption and backroom deals. We need a City Hall that protects our neighbourhoods.
Without open, honest and accountable government, nothing else can be achieved.
David Miller is proud to have fought and won the battle to have a full public inquiry into the MFP leasing scandal. When he is Mayor, City Hall will belong to all of us, and not just the well-connected elite. His policies include a lobbyist registry, a new Integrity Commissioner, and tough conflict of interest guidelines. He will make himself accountable through an annual Mayor's Annual Report"

UNEDITED VIDEO CLIP

Transcript

David Miller
Yes, Mr. Chair, since this issue has been raised, I think it should be cleared up. I'd like to ask the solicitor a question.

Chair, Doug Holyday
Go ahead.

David Miller
Solicitor – Madame Solicitor, when a member of council is appointed by council to sit on an agency board or commission, does that member of council have a conflict when issues involving that agency, board or commission come before council?

Anna Kinastownski, City Solicitor
Generally speaking no, but the individual councillor would still need to be guided by the municipal conflict of interest act.

David Miller
Of course. But for example, when members – Councillor Ashton and I are members of the Toronto Transit Commission – uh, we're entitled to vote on the TTC budget is that correct?

Anna Kinastownski, City Solicitor
Yes

Deputant
It's not an agency-sorry, I'm sorry. I don't think Artscape is a city appointed agency-

David Miller
Excuse me ma'am. I have the floor.

Deputant
Sorry – I'm sorry. My apologies.

David Miller
Toronto Artscape is a city entity, correct?

Anna Kinastownski, City Solicitor
Well, I hear various people referring to it as such – I'm not aware that it is. That question has not been asked of us, no one has provided any inquiries in that regard. I do not have any documentation to that effect.

David Miller
OK. Let's assume that Toronto Artscape was set up by the city of Toronto, it's a city agency and the city appoints two councilors to sit on it's board.

Anna Kinastownski, City Solicitor
Um, it would depend councillor Miller, as to what the nature of the agency was. The city council appoints councilors to many different entities which are not local boards and are not agencies of the city.

David Miller
Yes, I understand that. But you don't know Artscape's status?

Anna Kinastownski, City Solicitor
No.

David Miller
OK. Thank-you.

 

NOTES:

Artscape is NOT a city agency.























































The Documentation....

David Miller has publicly stated his support of neighbourhoods and his abhorrence of any kind of corruption of process. He favours an integrity commissioner. Despite this, Miller voted to support a development even though he was aware that community survey resutls had been misrepresented in a staff report to council, that the Councillor making the motion to support the development had been found to have behaved inapporpriately with regard to fundraising acitivities for the development, and despite the fact that he knew the neighbourhood clearly did not want the development.

David Miller then suggested that the residents should get therapy.


UNEDITED VIDEO CLIP

Transcript

Miller – Admin Council
Artscape is a non-profit organization supported by the city to provide housing for artists. That's what it's supposed to do, and what it's doing here is exactly what council has asked it to do since it started, whether the project is supported or not by people immediately adjacent to it. I understand the very, very strong feelings, and I hope that as this proceeds in whatever way, there is some kind of opportunity to um-uh-I mean maybe therapy would be good.