Transparency and accountability

For anyone who has watched city hall over the last few years, I think they have been outraged at some of the behaviour they have been witnessing. I’ve heard those concerns time and time again while canvassing around Barrhaven West.

If I have the privilege of becoming your next elected official, I will bring transparency and accountability back to city hall while ensuring your voice is heard. 

The name calling, divisive attacks, personal hatred between members of council all needs to stop. City hall is not supposed to be run like a circus; it’s a place where elected officials are supposed to politely debate and advocate for their residents’ needs. It seems many of our current elected officials have forgotten that in the midst of so much division. 

Far too often over the last few years, we have woken up to headlines about back room deals and conversations which have taken place. While this has been a concern for a while, the recent LRT inquiry showed us just how deep the lack of transparency went. 

As the Capital of Canada and a city of a million people, people expected more from their elected officials, yet public trust and confidence is at an all time low. This is a crucial election which will see at least 11 new councillors and a new Mayor at the helm. In this part of the city, we will have a new councillor in at least seven wards which border one another, with Barrhaven West in the middle of it all. 

This is an election focused on change and will go down as one of the most crucial municipal elections in recent Ottawa history. Your vote matters more this time than it has in a long while. One of the first orders of business for the new term of council will be restoring that public trust in their elected officials. It won’t be an easy task with so much damage already done. But what it means is being transparent, open, and accessible from day one. 

I am a community builder who has spent the last few decades in this community. I call it home and it’s where I decided to raise my family. When I moved to Canada as an immigrant when I was a kid, I was immediately struck by all the opportunities this country offers. It’s a privilege to live here. 

I bring a unique background to the table: I’m a diverse voice, I’ve worked at OC Transpo, and I’ve been part of various volunteer boards and organizations. I know how to bring people to one table and sort out our differences. I know how to ensure we are being open and honest with the public. These will be crucial traits for Barrhaven West’s next councillor, and I will bring exactly that.