After fossil fuel fallout, Dan LeBlanc says Regina councillors should be full-time positions
LeBlanc had received multiple messages telling him he should lose his day job over a controversial motion
A Regina city councillor says being a member of council should be considered a full-time job, so councillors can stick to campaign promises without worrying about economic retribution.
Ward 6 Councillor Dan LeBlanc was quickly in the public eye after proposing then withdrawing a controversial motion that would prohibit fossil fuel producers and sellers from sponsoring city-run events or advertising on city property.
What followed was lobby campaigns, independent citizens emailing, a social media call out from the Premier and more. LeBlanc said many were supportive of sustainability — but not the specific motion — a minority told him to freeze to death or lose his day job.
Now he's calling for the elected position to be made a full-time job.
"In order to reduce the improper economic influence that powerful forces, such as the oil and gas lobby, can leverage against us," LeBlanc said. "It is bad for democracy, for elected officials to be making decisions out of a desire to avoid personal or economical reprisal."
Historically, the mayor has been a full-time job, but many members of council have had day jobs that are their main source of income.
LeBlanc terminated from job, starts own firm
On Jan. 29, LeBlanc was terminated from his job as a lawyer at GRJ Law (Gerrard Rath Johnson LLP) "without cause," he said.
LeBlanc said he does not want to get into the details around the termination and GRJ said in a statement that the circumstances of his departure are confidential and every employee has the right to confidentiality regarding their employment.
LeBlanc is now starting his own law firm, LeBlanc Law. He said he hopes it gives him more flexibility to do the work that's pressing in the city. He also hopes it would be less vulnerable to the economic influence of lobby groups while doing his work as a democratically elected official.
Making councillors a full-time position would help them all to keep their campaign promises they were elected for, instead of "powerful forces" threatening their economic security.
"I'm not saying that's what happened to here [in LeBlanc's job termination], but I'm saying many people spoke out to me and to other counselors threatening economic security … which is done for the purpose of changing how we vote … and that is clearly bad for democracy."
LeBlanc hopes 'majority' supporting renewable energy make their voices heard
The situation started with a simple amendment at executive committee on Jan. 20. While discussing the idea of naming rights, LeBlanc proposed an amendment adding fossil fuel producers and sellers to the potential list of banned sponsors.
"Giving money to have a building named after yourself is not a philanthropic act, but it's a business one," LeBlanc said. "More than just typical advertising, it actually implies some partnership between the city and the organization."
The rationale behind the proposal was that the City of Regina has a renewable energy plan to be net carbon zero by 2050, he said.
LaBlanc argued that council should start taking steps now, instead of waiting until 2049. The motion passed at the committee. However, after the feedback, LeBlanc withdrew the motion at a city council meeting on Jan. 27.
As the council moves forward from the fallout, LeBlanc said he hopes the majority that messaged saying they supported sustainability were telling the truth and will support future motions.
"I think that's the message many councillors took from the aftermath of the motion, is that actually there is even more support for sustainability in this city than had previously sort of been vocalized," LeBlanc said.
I am fearful that that vocal minority of people who do not take climate change mitigation and avoidance seriously will drown out the majority of residents who are concerned about sustainability.- Dan LeBlanc
He says what concerns him looking forward is groups that mobilized and lobbied that do not have a desire to move toward sustainability.
"I am fearful that that vocal minority of people who do not take climate change mitigation and avoidance seriously will drown out the majority of residents who are concerned about sustainability and that that will have a chilling effect on what we do," he said.
LeBlanc said council will need political courage to keep many of the sustainable promises councillors were elected on and that courage could be bolstered by residents providing feedback and talking to councillors on future decisions.