The question of what can be discussed in camera by elected officials has been raised this week, and while town council must tread carefully — after all, there are legitimate reasons to discuss matters in private — it should not shy away from tackling the question publically.
Topics of in-camera discussions, if they do meet Municipal Government Act requirements for non-disclosure, should of course not be revealed. But the steps council is taking to ensure in-camera sessions are merited should be. The public deserves assurance that everything that can possibly be openly debated is being tackled in just that way, without smokescreens or secrecy. And if those steps have not been taken, the public deserves a change in how meetings are run.
Specifically, the public deserves to know who is policing whether or not a discussion has gone beyond the bounds of what’s acceptable for in-camera talks. Is this the responsibility of the mayor? The chief administrative officer? Any councillor who feels a pang of unease? And if the answer is all three, then the question becomes: is an atmosphere being fostered where all participants feel they can voice such concerns?
