Jewell, Stevens Quit CRMG

Mission Councillors Jeff Jewell and Jenny Stevens have broken away from the Citizens for Responsible Municipal Government (CRMG) in the wake of the controversy over Councillor Dave Hensman‘s potential conflict of interest.

Public statement by Jeff Jewell re resignation from CRMG:

Recent issues have created considerable controversy and tension within the District of Mission Council,
which each member has struggled to deal with in the most appropriate way, according to their understanding and values.

Unfortunately, some of the major decisions and actions of some members have been incompatible with my personal values, and what I understood to be the values and commitment of CRMG (Citizens for Responsible Municipal Government, the political association under which all members of DOM
Council were elected in 2011). Accordingly, I have taken the difficult decision to resign from CRMG. I remain proud to be a member of this Council, and proud of our accomplishments to date, and I shall continue to fulfill my duties as Councillor to the best of my abilities.

Public statement by Jenny Stevens re resignation from CRMG:

My resignation from CRMG is a personal decision, which has not been easily or quickly reached. In my opinion, this Council has achieved much and I believe that the groundwork done may lead to more results benefiting our community. However, when I joined the CRMG team I did so in the belief that I had found a group of individuals who shared principles and values dear to my heart. Sadly, over the past few months, I have been forced to the conclusion that this is not true of every individual within the group and that I can not therefore, go forward to the next election with the CRMG team as it is or participate in their group discussions. I shall of course, continue to work with Council to achieve what I truly believe to be best for my fellow citizens.

While the issue of Councillor Hensman’s possible infringements have somewhat influenced my decision, they are no more than the final straw. Regardless of whether the allegations were valid or not, I do find Councillor Hensman’s failure to support an effort to seek an impartial decision reached by a qualified body, disappointing and the attempt to divert attention, by citing me as being equally compromised, totally unacceptable behavior. When faced with similar allegations, I voted in favour of a police investigation and waited for the decision to be reached by the Public Attorney and then, asked the community to express their opinions by seeking re-election. Councillor Hensman had the same opportunity.