Kearns now needs to be transparent and accountable and keep her constituents informed

SwP thumbnail graphicBy Pepper Parr

April 28th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The demand that Lisa Kearns resign immediately is foolish.

Were she to do that there would then be the need for a by-election which this city can do without.

Lisa Kearns

Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns

What Ms Kearns should be doing in issuing a Newsletter to her constituents announcing her plans (a tweet is what high school girls do – time to grow up) explaining why she will be running as a Liberal in the next provincial election which will be on June 4th, 2022 unless the Premier feels he needs to return to the people for a new mandate. Not something he is likely to do.

Choosing to drop bits and pieces of her situation here and there or have long chats with her female friends who then pass along the evolving story is a poor way to communicate with a public that elected her in the first place.

Ms Kearns is an intelligent young woman with a first rate mind who has served the city well in a relatively short period of time.

There is now a nomination meeting that has to take place; given that the provincial Liberal’s approached Ms Kearns she may well face nomination uncontested.

The party needs to now focus on putting together a team and raising the dollars to run a strong campaign.  There are many that want the compliant MPP to hold the seat.

Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.

 

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5 comments to Kearns now needs to be transparent and accountable and keep her constituents informed

  • Susan Corrigan

    Here we are with the 20/20 hindsight again. Perhaps Ms Kearns was humouring me when she said she was in for two terms knowing full well she was just passing through.

  • Susan Corrigan

    When l met Lisa on the campaign trail she mentioned at that time she was in for one term. Once she got elected and realized it would take more than a term she told me it would have to be 2 terms to get anything done as it was a big job. No loyalty there. So what’s it going to be? There is no denying she is an intelligent academic. That being said I think the developer koolaid has taken effect.

  • Helen Donohoe

    Seeking a nomination and if successful, mounting a campaign for election is a full-time job. Being a councillor is a full-time job. No one can do two full-time jobs. It’s up to Cllr Kearns to decide how she will deal with this.

  • Penny Hersh

    How can a councillor be effective and represent the ward if the intent is to move to Provincial politics? It is not foolish to ask to have a councillor who represents the needs of the residents.

    It is definitely not the time to have a by-election, however, this did not seem to enter the councillor’s mind when announcing that she will be running for the nomination of the Ontario Liberal seat in Burlington. My question? Why the rush to make this announcement?

    The councillor’s May newsletter was sent out last evening ( Tuesday). There was no mention at all of her intent to run for this nomination. As stated the in your article the next provincial election is slated for June 4, 2022.

    Should this happen and Councillor Kearns is not successful in winning a seat would she then run for another term for Council?

    If an election is called before that date and Councillor Kearns is the designated nominee, would that not mean that she would have to leave Council and we would have to have a by-election?

    Food for thought.

  • David Barker

    We should remember Councilor Kearns has not received the nomination at this point in time. Once she has received the nomination that would be the time for the councilor to make an announcement and to provide assurances as to continued dedication to Ward 2 and to the City as a whole. Calling her commitment into question is I believe completely unfounded.

    I share another commentator’s view that the councilor will find her position as an MPP (if elected) under a party flag will restrict her ability to be frank and forthright. She would no longer be “her own man” so to speak.

    As with McKenna provincially and Gould federally, Ms Kearns will be bought and paid for by the party she represents and to which she must yield and show fealty. She will not be able to publicly oppose Liberal party policy even if that policy is contrary to Burlington’s interests.

    As to the tone of this article, I respectfully ask that either the publisher or the editor slap the wrist of the author of this piece for the uncalled for use of rude, demeaning and sextet language towards Councilor Kearns. I refer to:-

    “a tweet is what high school girls do – time to grow up”

    “Choosing to drop bits and pieces of her situation here and there or have long chats with her female friends”

    The author should be held to the same standards to which commentators here are held.

    Content edited.