Respectful Election Conduct

The cornerstone of Canadian democracy is that we can disagree on particular policies or programs but we can do so respectfully without descending into behaviour that could be considered to be bullying, harassment or discrimination.

Over the past few days, there has been some debate on social media about bullying and harassment directed at elected officials as well as similar behaviour being directed by local elected officials at engaged community members. Throughout all of this, I want to recognize the moderators and administrators of What’s Up McNab/Braeside (WUMB) for doing their best as volunteers to oversee important community discussions within the bounds of the group’s rules. It is disappointing that they have been the subject of ongoing threats and harassment for doing their jobs and fairly assessing posts and comments in the Facebook group, rather than removing content immediately simply on the basis of one complainant’s opinion. As a former moderator who stepped away when I filed my nomination papers, I know that the WUMB team works collaboratively and thoroughly to review potential violations and balance the desire for a community discussion group that prioritizes freedom of expression with the necessity to keep the space safe for all to participate in.

While this may have happened in different forms for many years, it is never something to condone. As citizens, we must all take the upcoming municipal election as an opportunity to debate who are the best candidates to be elected to serve on our Township Council for the next four years. We can debate if the Township is better off than before the last election, we can criticize policy decisions that have or have not been taken by the elected Council and we can agree or disagree with any candidate on the best path forward but I would ask that all residents remember that our candidates are people too. Please be respectful in all interactions, both in-person and online, because our community will be much better if we can all get along and work together to build the best McNab/Braeside for all.