Brown rivals see red

MP in hot water
By BOB BRUTON BARRIE EXAMINER November 24 2010
The overlap of federal and city politics in Barrie is causing a flap.
First, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is asking that MPs mailing privileges be reviewed after Barrie Conservative MP Patrick Brown allowed city Coun. Michael Prowse to add his postcard to a letter Brown sent last summer opposing a controversial, high-density development planned for 300 Essa Rd. — one that council eventually rejected.
Then-Liberal democratic reform critic Carolyn Bennett said House of Commons Speaker Peter Milliken should be alerted to Brown’s mailing, because it might not fall within the regulations.
Brown said Bennett, MP for St. Paul’s, seemed to make her complaint on a slow news day.
“If you take a look at the letter, you will quickly realize there is nothing to this story,” he said. “We complain in Canada that politicians don’t work together and governments point fingers at each other. This is an example of different levels of government working together to protect their city.
“We successfully built support to block the development. We believe the city will be better off without this mega development.”
In September, Barrie councillors nixed a proposed residential/ commercial development where 3,000 people could have lived in a mix of five high-rise apartments and townhouses, and where 143,000 square feet of commercial space could have been built, on about 11.6 acres of land. The city’s planning department recommended denial of the Clawson Group’s plans, and councillors followed suit.
Prowse, who represents this part of the city, has said the Clawson application needs to conform to Barrie’s intensification study and Official Plan, and it doesn’t.
He’s said it’s way too large, the commercial component needs to be reduced and development on the environmentally-protected area needs to be eliminated.
But the CTF’s Kevin Gaudet said Brown helping Prowse on this matter, in this manner, could be seen to benefit the latter’s reelection campaign for the Oct. 25 vote.
Prowse rejects that argument.
“It (his letter) is not election-related, nor does it suggest anything other than the details of the (Clawson Group’s) application and why I’m opposed to it and my desire to ensure my residents are informed and that if they agree with me they should e-mail all of council,” he said. “That is exactly what members of council are supposed to do.”
Neither letter mentions the Oct. 25 municipal election.
Brown, a former Barrie councillor, has been involved in the last two city elections.
In 2006, he helped Ward 1 incumbent Adam Smith, who lost to Mike Ramsay. This time he openly endorsed Jennifer Robinson, who edged Allison Eadie in the election for Ward 8 councillor.
Barry Woods, political science professor at Georgian College’s Barrie campus, noted 300 Essa Rd. is a huge issue for south-end residents.
But Brown campaigning for Robinson is also noteworthy.
“People find it peculiar, when Brown is walking the streets, going door-to-door, asking people if they want to discuss municipal politics,” said Woods, who lives in Ward 8. “I saw Brown three times — twice on the street and once at a neighbour’s door. I never saw Jennifer Robinson.”
Woods says it’s also unusual for an MP to put such a stamp on a local council.
“What problems does that make for (new mayor) Jeff Lehman,” he said. “Who will set the agenda? These people are beholden to Patrick Brown.”
Brown says the letter wasn’t an endorsement of Prowse.
“It was our joint opposition to a bad development that would have harmed the quality of life in Barrie,” Brown said. “I don’t get involved in a (city) issue very often, but I will do so any time I feel it hampers the quality of life in Barrie.”
He noted his opposition to a proposed ethanol plant and his efforts to keep Sunnidale Park a passive park.
Prowse says Brown indicated he was going to send out a letter taking a position on the Clawson application, and that he could include a copy of his postcard at no additional cost since he was doing a mailing anyway.
The Ward 6 councillor says he printed and mailed approximately 5,000 postcards about the Village of Essa Woods to his residents. He then had another 5,000 simple black and white versions of the postcard printed on plain paper, and provided them to Brown’s office to be included with his letter.
There was no added cost to it being included, Prowse said, and it allowed him to ensure as many of his residents as possible were informed by using two separate mailings of the same information.
The cost of the postcards and the mailing Prowse did was reimbursed by his councillor communications account, which is allowable. He says there was no additional cost. Councillors have expense accounts of $3,000 a year.
“I did not pick the timing of the 300 Essa Rd. application. It could have come forward six months sooner or six moths later,” he said. “My approach and desire to ensure as many of my residents were aware of it as possible would have been the same (regardless of the timing).”
Prowse says the mailing with Brown and his campaign literature were separate communications.
“My re-election postcards were clearly that and were paid for by my campaign,” Prowse said.
A Brown volunteer inserted Prowse’s letter, attaching it to Brown’s message. Brown said Prowse paid for the production of his own letter. The letters are dated July 23.
“It wasn’t during a municipal election,” Brown said. “It didn’t give him any unfair advantages.”
Prowse was re-elected in Barrie’s Ward 6, defeating Martin Carlisle by a margin of 2,559 votes to 395 votes.
Prowse says he’s not a member of the Conservative party, but doesn’t believe its an issue even if he was one.
“The MP representing Barrie took a stance on a rezoning application. It does not matter to me which party they represent. His (Brown’s) position agreed with mine and, by the way, nine other members of council (voted), as the application was denied 10-1.
“The hundreds of e-mails council received on the application proved that the proactive communication was effective and appreciated.”