Draft MRC bylaw would ban citizens, media from photography at public meetings
Draft MRC bylaw would ban citizens, media from photography at public meetings
At the MRC Pontiac council of mayors meeting on February 19, council introduced a draft bylaw regarding management of public meetings (the full text of which is available here: EN/FR).
The majority of the bylaw concerns the rules for public meetings, such as the structure of the public question period and rules for elected officials attending remotely. The mayors can still make modifications to the bylaw before it gets voted on at a future meeting.
However, the draft bylaw also includes a provision that would ban the public, including media, from any photography or videography during a meeting, under threat of a fine of several hundred dollars. Article 14 states: “It is forbidden to film and photograph inside the place where municipal council sittings are held, and the use of any photographic device, video camera, television camera, or other is prohibited.”
Article 40 states that any violations of article 14, as well as several others regarding decorum, will result in a $200 fine for the first offence and $400 for a repeat offence, with the fine not exceeding $1,000.
When asked after the meeting about these provisions, Warden Jane Toller explained that the wording of the draft had come from the Federation of Quebec Municipalities (FQM), and reiterated that the mayors would have the opportunity to make revisions before voting on the bylaw. She said that it was introduced in light of an exodus of elected municipal officials that’s been reported across Quebec, adding that many have cited harassment or threats as their reason for resigning.
According to reporting by Radio-Canada and other media, more than 1,000 of the 8,000 municipal elected officials in the province have resigned since the last general election in 2021. A Léger poll commissioned by the Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ) last year found that 46% of officials surveyed had experienced intimidation or threats, and 36% had faced harassment. Last year, the provincial government passed legislation to increase protections for elected officials against harassment and abuse.
When asked why someone shouldn’t be able to film or photograph so long as they’re not disturbing the meeting, Toller said she thought there could be an exception for media and said she would raise some points of concern at the next plenary session.
CHIP 101.9 spoke with Mansfield-et-Pontefract Mayor Sandra Armstrong and Shawville Mayor Bill McCleary, who both said that they’ve noticed an increase in harassment of mayors and MRC officials in recent years, particularly on social media.
McCleary said that the majority of the harassment takes place online, and said he would be in favour of removing the time limits on public question period, so long as the questioners followed the rules.
Armstrong said she was in favour of better enforcing rules regarding decorum, and pointed to some public meetings discussing the proposed waste incinerator last year, where members of the public were heckling or not being respectful during question period. When asked about article 14 she said she needed to review the wording of the draft, but had no issue with media recording or taking photos.
