Chatham-Kent (CK) council got 'disrespectful' while discussing a motion brought forward by Councillor Ryan Doyle.
During Monday night's meeting, Doyle brought forward a motion asking staff to compile a participation report before CK elections take place.
One request in his motion was for staff to outline how many consent agenda items each councillor has pulled throughout the term.
A consent agenda is a management tool used to group non-controversial items into a single approved vote, freeing up more time for other discussions.
To make a point, Councillor Trevor Thompson pulled every item in the agenda during the council meeting.
"I admit it was an exaggeration to prove a point," said Thompson. "I pulled every item on the agenda, basically to prove a point, a point with a sledgehammer."
He noted that by incentivizing making motions, pulling items, and more, councillors will be governing to a metric.
"I hate to think that a councillor that was good in the community, whose strengths laid in the community work, who honestly had to rely on their fellow councillor to help them through a Monday, wouldn't get elected because some people who have a very narrow view of what council is wouldn't vote for them," Thompson continued.
Other councillors, including Amy Finn, Carmen McGregor, and Lauren Anderson voiced their issues with the motion as well.
"When this came forward last time, it was like a slap in the face," said Finn. "I'm out in the public. I get involved in the public. I get involved in discussions here at the table. According to your motion, none of that shows."
Others brought forward the workload this will add to staff, who are already behind.
"There's no need for us to have our staff do this extra work at this time when there's so much other and more important things going on," McGregor added. "I think everybody around this table works very hard in all directions and with our community, and it just feels like it's pointing fingers at each other."
Doyle discussed his reasoning for the motion, explaining that the report would be helpful for residents who don't watch the meetings.
"I had the idea after watching the same six or seven councillors pull items all term, and basically I brought it up to some constituents, and I said, 'Hey, here's what I'm thinking for a motion. What are your thoughts?' Every single one of them said, 'Yeah, that's great.' Because right now we have no data that shows what any councillor has done on their term," Doyle continued.
The discussion took a turn when Doyle called out Thompson for making a "mockery" of his motion.
"I would like to say thank you to Councillor Thompson for coming out for the first time in two years. It's nice to have you," said Doyle.
Councillor Harrigan called a point of privilege, explaining the comment was disrespectful. Mayor Darrin Canniff agreed with Harrigan.
"He's very obviously making a mockery of my motion tonight. It's pretty blatant to see," Doyle responded, asking why it's okay for Thompson to "mock" his motion but not okay for him to make that comment.
The motion failed by a vote of 14 to three, with Councillors Doyle, Rhonda Jubenville, and Michael Bondy supporting the report.
