Winnipeg councillor 'angry' after criticism for driving with kids during council meeting
The way a councillor participated in a meeting is driving debate at Winnipeg City Hall.
During Thursday’s council meeting, Councillor Matt Allard (St. Boniface) was participating virtually. At one point, he is behind the wheel driving. His two children are with him.
This was pointed out to Speaker Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan) who told him to disconnect.
“Councillor Allard, if I could just ask you to maybe disconnect while you can get back to your desk,” said Sharma.
Allard protested the directive.
“I picked up my child from daycare, I don’t see why I should be precluded from participation,” he said. Sharma insisted, saying proper decorum required Allard to be sitting in an office or somewhere else remotely.
“We can talk offline, I’m concerned about your safety and I was alerted to this. We will talk later.”
Some of Allard’s councillor colleagues say he should not have been behind the wheel and listening in on the meeting at the same time. Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) weighed in on the floor of Council.
“When I see someone driving during a meeting, I just think that that’s distracted driving,” she said. On Friday, Councillor Shawn Nason (Transcona) spoke to CTV News.
“It is diverting your attention away from the task at hand and safe operation of a motor vehicle,” said Nason.
Allard says he followed council protocol and the rules of the road.
He says he was sitting, using a hands-free device at the time, and that his daughter was working the mute/unmute button in case he had to speak.
“I’m really angry at some of the comments my colleagues have made,” Allard said.
Allard is unhappy with his fellow councillors who called him out. When asked if he wants an apology, he says he will speak to them privately.
“Slander and libel happens in politics and that’s par for the course,” said Allard. “But what they did is they, they challenged my integrity and my competency as a father. My number one job is keeping those kids safe.”
Allard feels he successfully argued his point at council as he says he was able to continue with the meeting.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Have you been removed from your family doctor’s patient list for visiting an Ontario walk-in clinic?
Some Ontarians are expressing frustration after they said that they were removed from their family doctor’s patient list for visiting a walk-in clinic in a process being called “de-rostering.”
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Canadian government proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.