By Gazette Staff
October 23rd, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Yesterday, in the House of Commons:
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Burlington’s Mayor, Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, and the Halton elected representatives group, which I am honoured to be part of, for launching the Elect Respect campaign.
This initiative began as a conversation among women elected at all levels of government in Burlington, in which we recognized a shared reality of harassment and threats. From those conversations came a commitment to create a safer, more respectful culture in public life. Elect Respect calls on both elected officials and citizens to pledge respectful and inclusive participation in our democracy. It reminds us that debate should be about ideas, not personal attacks, and that integrity and respect must guide our discourse.
Sadly, harassment of elected officials has been on the rise. In 2023, the RCMP reported more than 2,600 threats, which is double what was reported the year before. Campaigns like Elect Respect matter because they call on all of us to set a better tone for our colleagues, for our constituents and for the next generation of leaders.
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Respect is a 2 way street, politicians regularly override the wishes of the communities they serve. Taxes get raised substantially, over the will of the people and development and developers run roughshod over taxpayers concerns. I realize taxpayers dont always get their way due to the greater good. In the last 10 years taxpayers have been ignored and over ridden by government entities such as the OLB.
It’s almost endearing how Burlington city council bands together in their lack of ability, time and again we hear about how mean citizens are to our elected officials. what are there people doing out the community other then popping in for a photo shoot. There’s a failed dog park in the Orchard that I have yet to see a dog at, it’s just a square with fences how could they not figure that out?
Elect Respect? How about the Elected Respect their constituents? Stop bulldozing their own wants onto the back of their city. Stop the hidden agendas and budgetary obfuscations. Give respect to get respect. Currently, without the former, how can they expect respect themselves? Down with self-righteous politicians hiding behind secrecy.
Bravo Karina! Thank you for standing up for better standards in public discourse
Everyone deserves common decency …even those who may made mistakes or whose opinion does not marry with our own.. We are Canadians and are better than this!
The role of populist crusading victim has served Meed Ward well over the years. It has allowed her to mask her rather shallow grasp of the duties of civic governance and stewardship behind a curtain of aggrieved indignation. I find it very difficult to give any credence to this, the latest of her self-promoting clarion calls. I have great respect for some politicians – Obama (both), Stephen Lewis, Lester Pearson, Bill Davis, Pierre Trudeau, Claudia Sheinbaum, Jimmy Carter – and absolutely none for others. Respect is something, as Philip notes, that is earned; benefit of the doubt is what is freely given until the doubt is removed, one way or another. It either morphs into respect through observed actions or curdles into distaste and disdain. Unfortunate familiarity with both Meed Ward’s virtue signalling rhetoric and Gould’s quest for a place on the very furthest left fringe of the political spectrum have bred in me the proverbial contempt. I find both of them tiresome and that is the kindest thing that I can say.
I believe you are factually incorrect Nijole, I’d love to see an example of what you are suggesting, in full context – not a clip doctored by the MSM.
On the contrary, most recently in the House, if you are paying attention, Francois Champagne (aka Franky Bubbles) and the PM, repeat talking points from the election with no substance, often in the loudest, shouting voice possible. Happy to share many, many examples.
Well, it starts at the top. House of commons debates are very hard to watch as there is very little decorum from all the insults and shouting. Pierre Poilivre should not be allowed in if he can’t control his temper tantrum, chest pounding outbursts while having nothing of note to contribute. He is an embarrassment!! This kind of behaviour encourages others to attack elected members and especially women.
Respect is earned, not given. I would suggest that both of these Liberal politicians have failed to earn respect when they fail to respond to their constituents about valid concerns, particularly with respect to government spending and the tax burden.
As auto workers lose their job, as canola farmers suffer tariffs from China, as steel and aluminum workers face an uncertain future, as lumber mills shut down, as GDP declines, as food prices increase will above the BOC target, as food bank users explode, our politician(s) does (do) not want her (their) feelings hurt. Got it.