http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video?cli...&binId=1.815892



Two city councillors went chin-to-chin Wednesday and appeared on the brink of fighting in front of news cameras during hostilities unusual even for Toronto city hall.

Apologies later restored a semblance of peace but the fireworks appear almost certain to reignite Thursday morning when the city ombudsman presents her report that triggered the confrontation.

Councillor Gord Perks (Ward 14 Parkdale-High Park) stormed up to colleague Giorgio Mammoliti (Ward 7 York West) shortly after Mammoliti started to talk to reporters at the back of the council chamber.

Mammoliti was explaining why he voluntarily left his council seat rather than be ejected for refusing to apologize for telling council that Fiona Crean’s report released last week is “politically driven.”

The report said political interference compromised the process for appointing citizens to board of city agencies. Without naming him, it described a scene in which Mammoliti verbally lashed staff for pointing out an apparent conflict of interest held by a nominee he favoured.

As Mammoliti started to talk to reporters Perks, apparently furious that Mammoliti had not actually left the council chamber, shouted: “Shame on you, shame on you. Get out of this chamber. You’re a bully.

“You said you were leaving the chamber, leave the chamber. You’re a bully, you’re trying to destroy the public service in this city, get out of here.”

Mammoliti held his ground, telling Perks: “Don’t touch me. I will defend myself if you touch me. Please get away from my space.”

When Perks again accused Mammoliti of bullying the civil service, Mammoliti snapped: “I think that you are bullying me right now so please stop.”

Perks left with the parting shot: “You are destroying the public service in this city …”

Amid the uproar council was suspended for about 20 minutes. A city hall security guard hovered nearby, apparently in case the councillors returned.

After the lunch break Perks, a left wing firebrand and former Greenpeace campaigner, apologized to council for sparking the confrontation.

Mammoliti, a former NDP MPP who took a hard turn to the political right, and often eagerly defends Mayor Rob Ford, accepted the apology but said Perks has “a track record of anger-management issues.”

Mammoliti told council he still believes the report is politically driven but he was referring to the motives of the city staff who talked, under oath, to Crean’s investigator, not to those of the ombudsman herself.

“If anybody has misconstrued or has taken that out of context, then I apologize. But I assure that those that have spoken to her that have been political, I will get to the bottom of it,” Mammoliti said.

The ombudsman told council her report is not political, that her mandate is to review actions of city staff, not the mayor or council.

“I do not have jurisdiction over council,” she said, but can point out when “political direction is at odds,” with staff responsibilities.

Crean is scheduled to present her report to council at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Earlier, Wednesday’s council meeting kicked off with tributes to Cam Weldon, the retiring city chief financial officer, who told councillors: “You need to be nicer to each other when I’m gone. You’ll live longer and you’ll retire happier.”

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It is time

Last edited by Shaya007 on Oct-03-2012 at 20:55