The Ford government is facing growing pressure to amend its plan to deal with council misconduct, with critics suggesting the proposed legislation has a fatal flaw.

In the spring, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack reintroduced legislation, originally proposed in December, to increase accountability and consequences for municipal councils.

The proposed legislation, which is currently going through committee hearings, makes a number of changes to how integrity commissioners and codes of conduct govern local councillors across Ontario.

In the most extreme circumstances, it allows for a councillor to be removed from office.

Removal would have to be recommended by a municipal integrity commissioner and then greenlit by the provincial integrity commissioner. The final stage would be a unanimous vote by the accused councillor’s colleagues to remove them.

That last step has been the subject of concern for the government’s critics and advocates of municipal reform.

Ontario NDP municipal affairs critic Jeff Burch said he supported most of the legislation, particularly changes to professionalize and standardize the system of local integrity commissioners.

“This legislation is very important, and it accomplishes that,” he told Global News. “With respect to removing councillors, almost everyone agrees that the final decision should not go back to the city council in question; it should go to some kind of professional body or the judiciary.”

Recent events at Niagara Falls council have put a spotlight on the problem.

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In that city, a councillor has been charged with domestic assault by local police. The charge has not been proven in court.

The Women of Ontario Say No, an advocacy group, asked to present to the council about proposed changes to the law, which would temporarily sideline any councillors facing a criminal charge.

The group, however, was not allowed to speak to Niagara Falls council about its proposal because they were told it would touch upon an ongoing legal matter. At the next meeting, the councillor himself spoke about his charge, reiterating his innocence.

Emily McIntosh, the founder of the Women of Ontario Say No, said the fact council wouldn’t let her present was an illustration of the issues with the draft legislation.

“If this was the judicial system and we were looking at a case there, no council person would qualify to be a juror because the bias is so strong,” she previously told Global News.

“So when we’re looking at this legislative development, it’s not just about making sure it’s done, it’s about making sure it’s done right.”

McIntosh and her group would like to see the final step amended, as well as rules putting councillors facing a criminal charge on automatic paid leave until a court decides on their innocence.

Ontario Liberal MPP Stephen Blais, who has pushed for years for municipal reform, said the legislation, as written, leaves too much space for politics.

“Requiring a unanimous vote of council makes removal nearly impossible and politicizes the process,” he said.

“Having a judge make the final decision, like in cases of conflict of interest, would keep the bar for removal high and the politics out.”

Blais said the Liberals would propose amendments to the legislation and hoped the government would consider them.

“We will be bringing amendments to strengthen the accountability provisions and ensure elected officials are held to the same standards as every other employee in Ontario,” he explained.

Global News sent questions to the Ford government about whether it would consider amendments. A spokesperson did not address them in a statement, which said removing a councillor from office should never be “taken lightly.”

The bill has not yet been passed into law and will be subject to more committee hearings on Thursday.

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ATLANTA – Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Junior and Alejandro Kirk were a part of Major League Baseball All-Star Game history on Tuesday night at Truist Park.

Tied 6-6 after nine innings, the National League beat the Jays and their fellow American League stars 4-3 in the first-ever home run swing-off as MVP Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies hit three home runs to give the NL the deciding edge.

Guerrero Junior, who started at first base for the American League, went 1-for-2 at the plate in his fifth All-Star game appearance.

He was struck out by Los Angeles Dodgers veteran Clayton Kershaw in the second inning, then hit a single line drive to centre-field in the fourth off of David Peterson of the New York Mets.

Kirk replaced Seattle Mariners’ starting catcher Cal Raleigh — who won the Home Run Derby on Monday — in the bottom of the sixth inning with the National League ahead 2-0. He watched Pete Alonso of the New York Mets launch a three-run homer, then Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks had a solo shot to make it 6-0.

Kirk led off the top off the seventh with a line drive single to centre-field off of San Diego Padres’ pitcher Adrian Morejon, then came around to score when Brent Rooker of the Athletics connected for a three-run homer, slicing the American League’s deficit to 6-4.

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Kirk flied out to right field in the top of the eighth off of pitcher Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who played 12 seasons for the Atlanta Braves, received a standing ovation when introduced as the National League’s starting first baseman.

Freeman, whose parents Fredrick and Rosemary are both from Ontario but moved the California because of work commitments, hit a ground ball to third and was thrown out at first in his only appearance at the plate. He came out of the game in the third inning.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays, who lead the American League East by two games over the New York Yankees and three over the surging Boston Red Sox — who have won 10 games in a row — take a 55-41 record into the post-break schedule.

The Jays, who are 9-3 in July, host a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants starting Friday, then entertain the Yankees for a three-game series starting Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025.