Councillors formally call for investigations into Gian-Carlo Carra property deal

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Two Calgary councillors will formally ask to refer an investigation report about Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra to police and Alberta’s Municipal Affairs Ministry.

A notice of motion making the request, co-authored by Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness and Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp, will be heard at council’s executive committee meeting on Wednesday. It will then likely go to council’s meeting on July 26 for debate and a vote — the last meeting before the summer break in August.

It calls for the integrity commissioner into Carra’s dealings with the property at 66 New St. S.E. to refer the report to the Calgary Police Service and the minister of municipal affairs’ office to be “reviewed” and “to take appropriate action.”

Although it calls for the matter to go to Calgary police, it also asks the service to refer it to another police body, as required, to avoid potential or perceived conflict.

Carra previously served on the Calgary police commission but had to step back from that role after an investigation was launched into an alleged incident in Calgary earlier this year.

That investigation was forwarded to the Edmonton Police Service in April, and the results are expected within the next few weeks.

The motion cites Carra’s failure to include his interest in the property on the necessary council disclosure form, and his failure to have a signed and documented financial agreement surrounding his $300,000 real estate investment as the reasons for the referral.

Wyness said she wants to refer the matter to other bodies in order to maintain public trust in the city’s political system.

“There’s limited scope and resources in our integrity office to actually do a fulsome report, as we’ve seen with the numerous stories coming out,” said Wyness. “To build back public trust with the office of the councillors and city council, we need to remove the perception that we are judge and jury of our peer.”

Sharp, who also signed her name to the motion, agreed with Wyness’s opinion it’s not council’s job to pass judgment, but said council has a duty to consider accountability and transparency in matters like this.

“It’s also very clear that the integrity commissioner found an issue, but the integrity commissioner’s job is to consider the code of conduct only,” said Sharp. “There are other documents that need to be considered, like the Municipal Government Act, that actually deals with pecuniary interest.”

Mount Royal University political science professor Lori Williams said she understands new councillors want to make sure ethical standards are robust, but she also has concerns the air will not be cleared after an investigation.

She said she is especially concerned about how it might be handled by the Municipal Affairs Ministry, which she says has taken ideological stances before.

“There is always the question of whether things will be cleared, or implications or questions about motivations might be raised if this is investigated by bodies that have in the past been less than objective,” said Williams.

She said an independent police force might be a better way to look into the matter, but there could be a danger if investigators draw ambivalent conclusions.

“It’s not clear to me whether that’s going to settle the matter one way or the other.”

brthomas@postmedia.com
Twitter: @brodie_thomas