New remote work rules for Calgary city councillors up for vote
New rules for Calgary city councillors wanting to work remotely are expected this week.
Council is set to vote on changes that would allow them to dial in to debates on occasion.
The changes are aimed at reaching a balance between councillors' schedules and the need for their full attention in debate.
Councillors are paid $120,000 a year -- a salary that comes with many demands.
"Really long days -- 12 hours, 10 o'clock at night, often multiple days in a row," Coun. Jasmine Mian said.
Mian is the first councillor in the city's history to give birth while in office, and she says she's supportive of tighter virtual attendance requirements but wants to see exemptions based on Charter-protected circumstances.
"It's not just about me and my specific situation. I'm actually just thinking about anyone," she said.
Proposed changes will require councillors attending remotely to be in a private location with their camera on and no virtual background, with compliance to be monitored by the city's ethics office.
In December, Coun. Dan McLean was censured after he missed a vote while working remotely from a golf course.
The new rules appear to be a response to the incident.
"Well, I did attend an industry event with several other councillors. I talked with the industry about homebuilders in our affordability crisis and then took the meeting after that," McLean said.
An adjustment is justified, says one political watcher -- to prevent abuse of the system.
"That option should be there, but the councillor was not working from home. He was working from the golf course. He was out on recreation time," Keith Brownsey said.
Mian plans to introduce amendments at Tuesday's meeting.
"I am the first woman to have a baby while in office here and that's for a reason: because the job hasn't largely been accessible, and so I think it's thinking about how do we make it so that city hall actually looks like the people we represent," Mian said.
Mian wants to make sure new mothers, people with disabilities or other health constraints are not removed from council consideration.
She agrees there is value in face-to-face discussions and that remote meetings should not be the norm -- her concern is overly broad restrictions.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.