Victoria City Councillor Stephen Hammond is seeking an apology from Councillor Jeremy Caradonna for calling him a liar in last week’s committee of the whole meeting.
Hammond has even gone to the lengths of writing up a nine-page council member motion, which he hopes will be on the agenda during this week’s meeting and would force his colleagues to vote on whether or not Caradonna should apologize to him.
During the council meeting on January 23rd, Caradonna accused Hammond of lying to the public in regards to a motion he had put forward.
Hammond says that this statement may lead some members of the public to distrust him, in both his duties on council, in his private business and in his community capacities.
He calls this statement alleged defamation and believes the statement may cause him or his reputation harm.
This comment came from Caradonna during a discussion and debate around a council member motion titled “Balanced Information For Crystal Pool Referendum.”
What was said in last week’s meeting
In the motion brought before council on January 23rd, Councillors Hammond and Marg Gardiner sought to end “one-sided advertising” regarding the Crystal Pool improvement project and upcoming referendum.
Below is a photo of the disputed advertising messaging:
Caradonna stated during the discussion that he opposed the motion and any amendments to it.
“I oppose the totality of this motion and the amendments because it’s predicated on the false assumption that staff are not balanced, they’re biased,” stated Caradonna. “They’re not.”
Several amendments were offered to change some wording and direction of the motion, but they were all defeated. Then Caradonna got the opportunity to speak on the motion as a whole.
“It is unconscionable, truly unconscionable that a motion such as this one would shame our staff. That has an adverse effect on staff morale, it has an adverse effect on our work culture,” said Caradonna.
He continued by noting that the current council unanimously approved all the advertising Hammond was taking issue with, and if there was any issue with those designs they should have been voiced long ago.
“That looks very very fishy, like you’re trying to spike a process and I would argue that in fact it does undermine the validity of our referendum,” stated Caradonna.
“It undermines the credibility of this government… Ugly politics combined with voter suppression, it’s truly unconscionable.”
Caradonna then said he finds it hard to believe that Hammond would take issue with the messaging of the advertising when he was involved in the unanimous vote that approved the very material he was taking issue with.
“That’s a lie, Councillor Hammond. You just lied to the public,” Caradonna then said. “What else am I supposed to call it?”
He then asked Mayor Marianne Alto if he was out of line, to which she replied that he was.
Following this Caradonna apologized to City staff on the matter at hand, telling them they did phenomenal work on the advertising campaign.
The motion was ultimately defeated with only Gardiner and Hammond voting in favour of switching up the messaging around the referendum with just 16 days before the vote on February 8th.
Hammond’s request for an apology
Now, in this week’s committee of the whole meeting, Hammond’s motion will recommend that council request Councillor Caradonna to make a public, unequivocal and sincere apology to Councillor Hammond, stating calling him a liar was false, and that Hammond did not lie in his motion, or in any of his statements, written or spoken at that meeting.
Hammond says that If the apology is satisfactory, he will not take any further action.
However, if Caradonna does not apologize, Hammond is threatening civil legal action against his fellow councillor.
“If Councillors want to uphold the honourable principles of being respectful to one another, this requested apology is the minimum requirement when anyone makes false and defamatory statements about anyone, let alone fellow Councillors,” said Hammond in a media release.
“Regardless of our stand on any position, and our close allegiance or friendship to any fellow council members, if this request is not supported, there is the risk future meetings will deteriorate to name calling and defamatory statements. I believe City of Victoria Councillors are better than this.”
Hammond is also asking that this motion be brought before council even though it was submitted late to City staff.
