Public hearing changes in Surrey stir controversy
Changes to the amount of time the public gets to voice their opinion during Surrey City Council meetings has caused controversy among former councillors.
On Monday, council agreed to decrease the amount of time each resident receives at public hearings from five minutes to three.
In response, former councillor Laurie Guerra called the move an attack on democracy.
"This arbitrary limit on citizens' ability to voice their opinions and concerns on civic matters effectively silences their voices and dismisses the fundamental right of free speech," said Guerra.
Mayor Brenda Locke responded on Wednesday, saying: "It seems to me this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black," and adding that it was the Safe Surrey Coalition that banned members of the public from council meetings in the past, when it had a majority on council under former mayor Doug McCallum.
"It's important to note the two (current) Safe Surrey Coalition Councillors also voted in favour of the decision to switch to a three-minute time limit. In fact, this was unanimously approved by Council," said Locke.
Guerra believes reducing the time for the public to speak is political posturing and questions Locke's commitment to her campaign promise of transparency.
Locke said the decision was to ensure fair opportunity for all to speak and prevent meetings from being dominated by a handful of residents.
"The bottom line is that anyone interested in speaking at public hearings will be heard. No one will be excluded or prevented from speaking. Written submissions are also welcomed, and they carry the same weight as appearing in person," said Locke.
The time reduction will come into effect immediately.
The changes to council meetings will also include an 11 p.m. end time, with unresolved matters moved to the next day.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.