Oro-Medonte deputy mayor defends stance on AWARE

Letter to the Orillia Packet and Times October 6 2010
Re: “Aware survey rejected,” Oct. 1
Firstly, I would like to state that I have no issue with the intentions of AWARE. I have spoken to many of the members on a number of occasions and did, in fact, attend one of their meetings that was held in Coldwater earlier this year. During the Site 41 debate, I had numerous discussions with members of the group, especially Ann Truyens. I responded to every email and phone call from over 600 members of the public during the Site 41 debate. One of the issues of AWARE is the alleged lack of openness and transparency at council meetings. The process they intend to follow in selecting who they would support is far from open and transparent, especially considering four of the candidates running in Oro-Medonte are or were members of AWARE. This is the reason I personally did not respond to the survey sent out by AWARE and I have advised Ms. Truyens of this. Prior to the survey being sent out, I was asked by a number of AWARE members to run for mayor of Oro-Medonte Township. I was advised by several members of the group that if I did not run for mayor, they would not support me for the position of deputy mayor. I advised the members I would not run for mayor. Just half an hour before the nominations closed on Sept. 10, I received a call asking me to reconsider my decision.
Their survey gave no assurances that the answers would not be edited before being put on their website and I had real issues with their “interview” process. They stated they will be holding interviews with each candidate which would last for about 30 minutes. A panel of three of their members would be asking questions. Each candidate would be allowed to have one supporter present during the interview. There was no indication who the panel members would be, what the questions would be or if each candidate would be asked the same question. There was no indication what criteria they would use to complete their “report card,” which would be the basis of them endorsing their selected candidate.
As I had already been told by many members of the group, they would not support me and many of them already had signs on their property supporting my opponent, I did not see their process as open, transparent and unbiased, therefore, I saw no point in participating.
The Oro-Medonte Chamber of Commerce is holding five all candidates meetings prior to the election. These are being held in an open forum with ample opportunity for members of the public to ask each candidate questions. What could be more “open, transparent and unbiased” than this process?
Ralph Hough,
Deputy mayor and candidate Oro-Medonte
AWARE Simcoe note: Candidate questionnaires are posted as received.