Proposal to seek legal advice rejected

A motion to seek a legal opinion on an addition to the New Westminster school district’s conflict of interest policy was shot down in a split vote by the board of education Tuesday.
The district is in the process of amending its policy to say a trustee receiving more than $3,000 and more than 50 per cent of their total campaign contributions from a group, corporation or union that does business with the district will be considered to have a “pecuniary interest.”
It also recently released a report from the provincial auditor general on the governance of the district’s business company.
It recommended the district establish policy to make sure trustee conflict of interest guidelines are complied with.
In making his motion, trustee Casey Cook said it was important to make sure the district’s changes were appropriate legally.
But he only received support from fellow Voice New Westminster trustees Lisa Graham and MaryAnn Mortensen. Michael Ewen, Jonina Campbell and David Phelan voted against it.
Board chair James Janzen was unable to attend because of his father’s recent passing on Sunday.
A tie vote meant Cook’s motion was defeated, a result that baffled Cook.
“We’re not lawyers,” said Cook on Wednesday.
“I thought it was a great opportunity for a new board to get a legal opinion and put this issue behind us. It is an issue that dogged the previous board, and frankly, I think the public is tired of us getting mired in issues like that when the public is asking when are you going to get those schools built ... Everybody has a different idea as to what a conflict is. An effective policy on conflict needs to be rooted in legal expertise.”
Ewen said Cook’s motion had everything to do with Voice’s politics and their disdain for the voters not electing them to a majority.
“I get the politics of it. [But] we need to park the politics at the door for the sake of the kids and we need to grow up,” said Ewen.
“This is political. This has nothing to do with the boys and girls of New Westminster.”
The board told the auditor general it agreed with the recommendation and is developing a conflict policy for both the board of education and the SD40 business company’s board of directors.
“We need to develop clear guidelines. When we develop them, then we can take them to the lawyers for legal advice,” Ewen said.