By Pepper Parr
October 20th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The list of the people on that junket to Japan just keeps getting more and more interesting.
We learned this morning that the Citys’ Solicitor, Blake Hurley is also a part of the group that is representing Burlington in Japan
He joins, City CAO Hassaan Basit, the Mayor, Councillors Galbraith and Nisan plus people from the Mundialization Committee.
Would someone identify the three people on the right? We know who the two wearing casual clothing are: Councillors Galbraith and Nisan. The Mayor dressed appropriately – a welcome change. The event is, in a minor way, a diplomatic occasion that the Japanese understand. The Mayor has a member of her staff with some experience in diplomatic protocol – she should have briefed the Mayor
The Mayor is popping out short bursts of information on her Twitter platform.
One of the more recent:
This is ridiculous. Time spent wandering the streets of Itabashi and dropping in on a cat cafe!
Japan is 13 hours ahead of Burlington, so it’s already tomorrow for me. We did do some exploring including checking out some interesting architecture, like high rises with external staircases, and visiting a cat café! The Tokyo region has 37 million people – more than the entire population of Canada!
This is what taxpayer money is being used for?
We have some questions.
Who decides who goes on these junkets?
The Mundialization committee would decide who represents them. Hasan Raza, Chair of the Mundialization Committee, Marybeth Curtin, Chair of the Itabashi sub-committee – that makes sense.
Who decides who is going to represent the city? Looks like the Mayor makes those decisions – not a lot of detail on the city website.
Why the City solicitor, Blake Hurley, was included is a question to be answered.
Is there not a limit to the gall of these people?
Does anyone have an understanding of the two Canadian Regiments who helped defend Hong Kong and their terrible treatment by the Japanese as Prisoners of War? Our First Nations say it takes Seven Generations to ‘move on’. Japan has never apologized. Cut this tie now. It is a terrible statement
Respect the dead.
I thought foreign affairs, just like rebate programs for the purchase of energy efficient heat pumps, were the preserve of the federal government? I guess not. I suppose next week the city will unveil plans to create embassies in Burlington, Vermont, Itabishi and Apeldoorn, Holland. We’ll probably need three new ambassadors too, along with official residences.
This mundalization program is another example of a simple initiative that has steadily morphed into something much larger than was originally envisaged. Do we really need to send a whole team of politicians and bureaucrats to Japan for what amounts to a glorified photo-op? Probably not.
Add “scrapping mundalization overseas boondoggles” to the growing list of cost savings, cutbacks and operating efficiencies.
This is the political landscape, entitlement, disregard for constituents and raising taxes for their junkets. Do not expect it to get any better.
With the change in Interim CAO immediately after Council we believed Hurley had also gone to Japan. Now confirmed by Gazette. It seems all those the Mayor depends on for support in governing her way rather than as required in accordance with legislation end up accompanying her on trips. Galbraith who was one of the initial four who began the opposition to mayor hiring and firing CAO folded on the points of privilige and then went to AMO wifth Mayor and now Japan.
Hurley has, incorrectly in our opinion supported the Mayor in her efforts to have Procedural Bylaws she only complies with when it suits her. August Special Council meeting not being a Special Committee of the Whole with 10 min delegation time and then 5 mins at Council being a prime example for several public meetings dealing with applications.
He is now apparently supporting non compliance with Municipal Act 239 (7) and incorrect minuting of the Committee of the Whole that was partly corrected by Kearns and not the City Solicitor before jumping on a plane to Japan without any notice to those who paid his fare.
No limit to their gall, I’d say. Utter tone-deaf entitlement.
Sometimes I wonder if the mayor purposely doubles down on things that are criticized – there’s a certain “in-your-faceness” that I often sense from some of the social media posts, in my opinion.
WHAT A DISASTER ALL AWHILE MANY RESIDENTS ARE OUTRAGED AT MASSIVE TAX HIKES
I know I never posted this, but I also know that I’m not the only David in Burlington, I also know I don’t drink, so should I have a number after my name?
I think that the Editor is being overly harsh. There are definite economic benefits to be realized by the trip. Rumour has it that there will be a cat café opening soon on Brant street. As a start-up gift, the Japanese have donated 200 of their cats.
An egregious waste of taxpayer money. Known attendees are MMW, Rory Nisan, Hassaan Basit, Blake Hurley, Hassan Raza, Marybeth Curtin, Councillor Kelvin Galbraith. Spouses and partners too? The Mayor’s assistant following her around for photo opportunities? What possible benefit is derived from mundialization with two cities and why can it not be done virtually? What is the cost? Tone deaf.