The Polling Station

This month we want to hear how you feel about development and densification in Pointe-Claire. You can only choose one answer, but we encourage you to leave your comments in the poll or email us at editor@pcrecord.ca and we may publish your comments and letters in our next issue!

Click Here To Answer Our Poll

Last month we asked you: Do you think there should be a time limit for each speaker at question period?

Wow, did you respond!

Here are the results of last month’s poll and your comments. Thank you all so much for participating!

From our poll:

“It could be useful to provide a template with general guidelines for how to frame and present comments (préambule) and questions. [...] I think it is reasonable to ask people to be prepared so as to be respectful of everyone’s time. If [...] there are some citizens […} who repeat the same comments and questions more at 3 consecutive meetings, their name could go to the bottom of the list and only speak if there is time [...] but to ensure that all citizens are given an opportunity to speak.”

“A Question Period moderator would be a great addition. This person would manage the time clock in a courteous but firm manner, making it fair for everyone wanting to ask a question. [...] I would also like to see commitments from councillors to provide answers to questions by the next public meeting.”

“The published Minutes of the City Council meetings should contain a comprehensive summary of the question(s) asked beside the name of the person who asked the question(s), along with a summary of the answer(s) given.”

“There should be specific questions and if there is a preamble it should be related to the question. No personal attacks should be permitted. Mutual respect for and from all should be encouraged.”

“One question and not a pontification. Although the mayor is the Chair, you can request that your question be answered by any councillor. For example: If the question had to do with Stewart Hall, you could ask that Councillor Homan answer it, as Stewart Hall is her dossier.”

“I think the suggestions given in this issue are well worth Council considering and I only hope they will be able to do so calmly, collaboratively and make a unanimous choice not fractiously as discussions and decisions seem to have become in the deliberations of our currently very divisive and unhealthy Pointe-Claire Council.”

“Everyone should voice their opinions in a respectful manner.”

“Agenda discussions should be prioritized with 'other topics' in time frame following.”

“Questions need answers and not long winded versions of ‘we are working on this.’”

“Unlike Parliament and the National Assembly, at the municipal level Question Period is not designed to allow time for opposition members to probe and find weaknesses in the ruling party's management of government. At the municipal level question period is designed to give citizens the opportunity to fill in any lack of understanding or uncertainty [...] they might have about what their city is doing or what their municipal government plans to do."

“This is a practice that was used very successfully at school board council meetings. If someone cannot make their point within three to five minutes, something is wrong. Speakers should not be allowed to filibuster on behalf of a particular political point of view and run out the clock. Fairness to all is the key and ensuring that anyone who took the time to go to, and sit through, a Council meeting deserves to be heard and their point of view respected.”

“Questions should be submitted in writing prior to the meeting. This will allow for current agenda items to be prioritized and heard before the other non-agenda questions.”

Letters you sent:

From Lucia: “I could not agree more with your opinion on Question Period at Council meetings. After attending my first ever council meeting in May I was shocked at how people were allowed to ramble on before there was any semblance of a question. I found it was more of a forum to express one’s views rather than to ask questions. Many would take 20-30 minutes of opining and would leave you asking, what’s the question? In fact I sent an email to the Mayor after the meeting to suggest that a 5 minute time limit be instituted to ask a question. If you’re not able to ask a question in 5 minutes then you’re obviously not asking anything.

Glad to hear I’m not alone in my thinking.”

From Kevin O’Brien: “[I] would agree of the 5 minute time limit at question period question(s) must be direct and to the point only. No accusations directed at Mayor or councillors.”

From Susan Weaver: “I would like to give you my thoughts about question period during our council meetings.

'Our' is a keyword here and every citizen should have a right to speak during the 90 minutes.

My suggestions are as follows:

• Citizens must be aware of others waiting their turn so they should refrain from giving long speeches. They should keep their questions to no more than 3 minutes out of courtesy. One can get a lot said within that time, longer the audience will lose interest.

• Question period could be held after the agenda is read. The agenda is about our city. Be informed.

• Questions can be sent in prior to the meeting so that the best answers are provided to us (Often the chair does not know the file and is unable to answer, this way they can research beforehand).

• The chair's answer should be pertinent to the question and not talk about their personal experience.

I have attended council meetings since 2010, longer than most councillors except for M. Bissonnette, a longtime councillor, and M. Cousineau, who was a regular attendee in the audience before taking office.

Council meetings were held twice a month back then.

I vividly remember Mr. McMurchie's opening remark at council meetings back then, he would thank us for getting up from the dinner table to come.

Having read the by-law maybe it is time for another update. It is a good by-law, but times change. “