Councillors not to speak to media: Taché mayor

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This article was published 09/12/2023 (558 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tache Mayor Armand Poirier wanted to make a point right out of the gate in an interview that was expected to be about Landmark arena ice time and construction progress on the new community centre in Lorette.

“The interview that you had with (Ward four Lorette Councillor) Steven Stein, and the article that was on the newspaper. It is illegal for Steven Stein to be representing council,” exclaimed Poirier over the phone on Nov. 21.

He was referring to The Carillon article Work starting on Tache multiplex utilities published Nov. 2. In it Coun. Stein, who sits on the Tache Community Centre fundraising committee, explained that facilities manager Heiko Zinn gave an update to council Oct. 31 that Hydro will soon be on site and installing services for the new arena and library complex. Mayor Poirier was not at the Oct. 31 meeting.

“That is in our procedural bylaw that there is only two people that are supposed to speak for the RM of Tache. I’m one of them, and the other one is the CAO,” said Poirier.

An in-camera session during the Nov. 21 development and planning meeting with the rest of council was held on the issue.

“In my absence it would be the deputy mayor (Ward two Coun. George McGregor). The deputy mayor never speaks to the media, so it’s me that’s the spokesperson or the CAO,” continued Poirier.

McGregor is also the LUD of Landmark Councillor Liaison, and is on the planning and development, fire department, and Landmark Recreation Centre committees, among others.

Poirier was directly asked if there was any scenario at all that a councillor can speak to media.

“No, there’s none,” said Poirier.

“And when I was a councillor for eight years, I had to keep my trap shut. Councillors can put whatever they want on their Facebook page,” he added, saying media can take quotes from the Facebook page.

“It does not work when you have eight people saying anything and everything,” said Poirier.

Stein spoke to The Carillon on the issue while he was at the Association of Manitoba Municipalities meeting in Brandon Nov. 29. Mayor Poirier was also at the AMM and was to speak about his time there after he got back, but responded via email Monday that he had too many meetings to make time for an interview before print deadline.

“He’s the spokesman for the municipality on our position on things. I’ve never understood that any of our communications policy says I can’t talk to a reporter one-on-one when I’m not representing the municipality’s position. So when you call me for an update on the arena, I’m not giving the municipality’s position out as far as I’m concerned because that was all factual. It was stuff that was said in an open meeting,” said Stein.

“I’m not trying to start a fight with him, right. He’s the mayor and I get it, you’re the mayor. But at what point are we not allowed to talk to anyone because what is the difference between you calling me for an arena update and a resident? Should I be telling every resident to phone the mayor?” asked Stein rhetorically.

Stein is the longest serving member of Tache council and currently serves as LUD of Lorette Councillor Liaison, on the Planning and Development, Lorette Community Centre, and Taché Library committees along with the community complex fundraising committee.

“I’ve never had this come up as an issue with any of our former mayors. I served with William Danylchuk; I served under Robert Rivard; I served under Justin Bohemier, and this is the very first time I’ve encountered this,” said Stein on the suggestion of a blanket ban on talking to media for all councillors.

“And I know my council pretty well. When this did come up, nobody else has an issue with it,” he added.

Stein admitted he could have tiptoed a bit more on one of his responses.

“I could have picked some words better, like in hindsight I shouldn’t have said I’m going to put the Province’s feet to the fire on the funding. I could have picked a more politically correct term but of course that’s sometimes me. I don’t always try to look for that absolute correct term, I’m just trying to get the message across,” said Stein.

But he felt comfortable calling media even after the in-camera meeting.

“And I talked to a couple CAOs – one was our former CAO – and they all said no, you can do that. But again the mayor’s the spokesperson on our position on matters,” said Stein.

He gave an example of if they had to change something on the arena or a new policy.

“I’ve seen enough stuff in my years to go, well if this is the worst thing that I’ve ever done, there’s pretty much not going to be a whole lot of repercussions on it. I’m not known for getting into a whole lot of trouble; I kind of follow the rules. That’s why I had no issues returning your call because as far as I’m going, I’m still following the rules,” said Stein.

The next regular council meeting is Dec. 11 at 9 a.m.