Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady spoke out against the Ford Government’s proposed Municipal Accountability Act, 2025 (Bill 9) during her address in the Ontario Legislature this week.
Brady said that while the bill appears to strengthen ethics and accountability through a standardized code of conduct and integrity commissioner process, it gives the government power to remove elected officials from office under vague terms.
“What is the definition of ‘egregious’? That’s where things get scary in democracy,” she warned, adding that the measure could open the door for political interference in local councils.
Brady also argued that decisions about removing politicians should rest with voters at the ballot box, not other council members.
Opposition MPP Stephen Blais agreed, calling the bill “window dressing” and warning that its accountability measures are weak and open to manipulation.
Both emphasized that true accountability must protect democracy, not endanger it.
Written by Jeremy Hall