Heated debate in politics is healthy.
Undoubtedly elected officials must fight tooth and nail for their constituents, but that ‘fight’ must always remain figurative.
In Westlock County council chambers last month that ‘fight’ became literal.
We don’t know what happened between reeve Bud Massey and Coun. Dennis Primeau.
We don’t know the details of the dispute, who started it, or how severe the reported assault was — those answers will hopefully come to light as the case winds its way through the justice system.
But what we do know is that as of today, May 10, 2016, Primeau faces a single count of assault following an alleged incident before an April 19 policy committee meeting.
And that fact, regardless of the details that led to the reported fracas, is the most troubling for county ratepayers.
As far as we know — and what should be of no surprise — this is the first time a councillor in our area has been charged with assault while on the job. Now, being charged and being convicted are two different things, but at any rate this is a black eye, figuratively, for the municipality.
Reeve Bud Massey said that council will move forward “business as usual,” but that’s hard to believe. Since this current bunch was elected in 2013 we’ve reported rifts between different councillors, occasional ‘verbal’ jabs and at least one, Jim Wiese, who gave up his seat at the council table in December stating: “It just got to the point where I didn’t want to be associated with what the council was doing.”
So, how bad is it? Hard to say, but not good if you’re going by recent headlines.
Ultimately, ratepayers expect councillors will conduct themselves with professionalism, just as any employer would expect of an employee.
The county does have a bylaw that outlines appropriate behaviour in and out of chambers, but it shouldn’t take legislation to ensure grown men don’t end up slugging each other like kids on the playground because one wants to take his ball and go home.
Until the case goes to court it’s inappropriate for us to offer any solution. That said, councillors will need to take a long look in the mirror in the weeks and months to come and get back to what they were elected to do — govern Westlock County.
