City Councillor suggests suspended colleague’s salary go to women’s shelters throughout Brampton

Brampton | Ontario | Latest News |

Published September 3, 2020 at 10:19 pm

Brampton City Councillor Charmaine Williams has suggested the salary that would normally go to suspended Councillor Gurpreet Dhillon instead go to women’s shelters in Brampton.

Brampton City Councillor Charmaine Williams has suggested the salary that would normally go to suspended Councillor Gurpreet Dhillon instead go to women’s shelters in Brampton.

Williams made the suggestion in a statement released on social media on September 1, and announced she will be bringing it to Council as an official motion.

“It just seems like the right thing to do,” Williams said in the statement. “Dhillon was suspended last month after the Integrity Commission found that he had violated Brampton’s code of conduct.”

In early August, Brampton City Council voted to apply the most severe penalty available to them to Dhillon–suspension of pay for 90 days.

The decision came at the behest of Muneeza Sheikh, Integrity Commissioner for the City of Brampton, who began investigating accusations of sexual misconduct made against Dhillon that allegedly occurred during a trade mission to Turkey in November 2019.

“I wish to state that I am displeased that there is no avenue (at least insofar as it relates to my mandate and jurisdiction) that allows for Councillor Dhillon’s immediate removal from City Council,” said Sheikh during a Council meeting in August.

For his part, Dhillon has vehemently denied the allegations and believes the Council’s decision was rushed.

“I am deeply troubled by City Council’s rushed decision today to accept the Integrity Commissioner’s flawed report,” he said in a statement posted to social media.

According to Williams, the amount Dhillon would have earned during the period of his suspension, with his salary and benefits, is roughly $25,000.

“That money would go a long way to helping women who are victims of domestic violence and abuse,” Williams said.

“By making this donation, City Council will be taking a bad situation and trying to repair some of the damage caused by our colleague,” she added.

Williams will be introducing her motion at the Brampton Committee of Council on September 9.

Cover photo courtesy of the City of Brampton via YouTube

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising