Ford Leaves It To Municipal Councils To Decide Whether Or Not To Remove A Councillor For Egregious Actions
“There always seems to be a reason for this (Ontario Ford) government to not pass this legislation. It is not a difficult task. Creating a safe working environment requires clear workplace protections. This is the third iteration of this legislation. It’s been debated for three years. (Ontario Municipal Affairs) Minister (Rob) Flack knows exactly what is needed to get this right.” – Haley Bateman, a Niagara Regional Councillor for St. Catharines and member of the province-wide citizens advocacy group Women of Ontario Say No
St. Catharines Regional Councillor Haley Bateman
A News Release from St. Catharines Regional Councillor Haley Bateman
Posted August 27th, 2026 on Niagara At Large
Niagara, Ontario – If Bill 9, the Municipal Accountability Act moves forward as currently proposed, the power to remove a councillor for egregious actions will rest solely with their fellow councillors—requiring full attendance and unanimous support from Council.
Haley Bateman, a Councillor with the Region of Niagara and advocate with Women of Ontario Say No, is raising alarms about the implications of this approach. She warns that without key amendments; the legislation could make municipal politics a far more dangerous place to work and participate in.
“The government cannot claim these are unintended consequences,” said Bateman. “They were told time and time again during committee hearings—by those who work in this space and by survivors of harassment and violence in the municipal workplace that two things will happen: if Council is made the decision-making body, the legislation will be moot and ineffective. The way it is written leaves far too much room for abuse and harassment to escalate and continue unchecked.”
Despite months of committee meetings held by the Conservative government throughout the spring and summer, the overwhelming recommendation to create an independent body to assess and determine councillor misconduct was ignored in the current draft of Bill 9.
Critics argue that no other workplace in Ontario operates this way.
“Municipal staff and elected officials deserve the same protections as every other Ontarian,” Bateman said. “Legislation already exists under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. We are simply asking the government to apply that legislation to our municipal workplaces, including protections for and from elected officials. The responsibility to create a safe workplace lies with the province under Minister Flack’s portfolio.”
Throughout Ontario, there have been numerous reported instances of workplace violence and harassment in municipal settings. Yet, protections remain minimal—especially when the harassment is perpetrated by elected officials.
“There always seems to be a reason for this government to not pass this legislation,” Bateman added. “It is not a difficult task. Creating a safe working environment requires clear workplace protections. This is the third iteration of this legislation. It’s been debated for three years. Minister Flack knows exactly what is needed to get this right.”
Six Niagara residents, protesting peacefully at a Niagara Falls city council meeting last June, before they were removed from the council chambers and three of them were arrested. Haley Bateman is sitting on the right in the second row, holding a sign reading; “The Women of Ontario Say No”
A Footnote from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – Haley Bateman was among three women arrested and about six women removed by Niagara Regional Police from a Niagara Falls city council meeting this past June for protesting the council’s refusal to let them speak on the issue of Bill 9. They requested the opportunity to speak in the wake of the Niagara Falls council’s apparent willingness to let one member of the council, Mike Strange, continue occupying his council seat following charges police laid against him earlier this past spring for an alleged case of domestic abuse – charges that have yet to be ruled on, one way or the other, in court.
Bateman and the two other women who were arrested were not charged but to this day, have never been allowed to speak to the Niagara Falls council on the subject of Bill 9 and allowing the councillor to continue serving on council with abuse charges hanging over his head.
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