SURREY’S Ethics Commissioner Peter Johnson has ruled that Surrey Councillor Rob Stutt of Surrey Connect, whose son is a Surrey RCMP officer, was in a clear conflict of interest when he voted in Surrey City Council to retain the RCMP in Surrey.
“Councillor Stutt had contravened section 21 of the Code of Conduct by participating in the discussion and voting on the police transition question at the November 14, 2022 Council meeting,” the Report states.
Last February, the Surrey Police Union revealed that the Surrey Connect councillor never disclosed that “the RCMP employs his son in the Surrey Detachment, nor has he ever declared that his daughter is assigned to the RCMP via secondment from the City of Surrey” while he voted in favour of a motion to end the transition from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service, and when he was appointed by Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke as the Chairman of the Public Safety Committee.
The SPU submitted a formal request to the Office of the Surrey Ethics Commissioner to investigate Stutt’s alleged breach of the City of Surrey’s rules around conflict of interest.
In May, the media reported that Johnson had informed the SFU that he had accepted their complaint for formal review.
The Ethics Commissioner’s report states: “Given the fact that a decision to continue with the police transition would have resulted in the elimination of a substantial number of policing positions within the Surrey RCMP detachment, there was a personal interest in the matter under consideration that A REASONABLY WELL-INFORMED PERSON would have concluded might influence a member of council in Councillor Stutt’s position.” (Capitalization by The VOICE for emphasis.)
Stutt himself is a former Mountie — and so his appalling conduct does NOT come as a surprise to anyone.
That the Ethics Commissioner had to actually use the words “A REASONABLY WELL-INFORMED PERSON” is such a slap to the face of Stutt and ALL Mounties — as well as to that of Locke and the other three Surrey Connect councillors. They should all hang their heads in shame!
The Report also noted that Stutt’s son was trying for a transfer from the Surrey detachment, but that was not enough to overcome the perception of a potential for bias because the transfer had not been approved at that point in time.
This is EXACTLY what The VOICE had exposed at that time, when we reported: “Meanwhile, I believe the Surrey RCMP is planning to transfer Stutt’s son to another detachment or some integrated team to try and help the beleaguered councillor.”
Now that has been verified by the Ethics Commissioner.
This clearly shows that Surrey RCMP and Locke conspired to carry this out to keep the RCMP in Surrey!
Talk about honesty, trust, transparency and principles!
STUTT finally responded to the media around 5 p.m. on Wednesday trying desperately to defend himself, stating: “My son was actively seeking a transfer from Surrey Detachment, which is documented by the RCMP, well before the 2022 civic election. I believed this would alleviate any perception of conflict.”
He added: “I have never tried to hide that my son has followed in my policing footsteps. I am extremely proud of the career paths that both of my children, aged 37 and 35 have chosen.”
Yet neither he nor Locke could explain why they never spoke or mentioned anywhere that Stutt’s son was in the RCMP.
They also avoided answering why Stutt voted on November 14 when his son was STILL in Surrey RCMP and the obvious rebuke by the Ethics Commissioner when he notes that “there was a personal interest in the matter under consideration that A REASONABLY WELL-INFORMED PERSON would have concluded might influence a member of council in Councillor Stutt’s position.” (Capitalization by the VOICE.)
As one journalist put it: “Had Stutt not voted on Nov. 14, the Dec. 9 vote would not have come before council, nor would the June 15 in-camera vote have happened, as the Nov. 14 vote would have failed on a 4-4 tie.”
THE whole episode has thoroughly exposed the hypocrisy and shamelessness of Locke and her Surrey Connect councillors — as well Surrey RCMP — and makes it ABSOLUTELY VITAL for Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth to KICK OUT the RCMP from Surrey before Locke and the RCMP that wields an APPALLINGLY UNWHOLESOME INFLUENCE over Locke cause any more chaos and insecurity in the city.
This is what the VOICE wrote in an opinion column on March 1:
THAT Stutt has kept the fact that his son is a Mountie an absolute secret has blown away everyone.
After all this same former Mountie told a Surrey newspaper last December: ‘We have to restore trust at city hall.”
The article said: “Stutt said he believes Surrey RCMP is the best police force for the city and is the most accountable one.”
“The most accountable one?” Really?
He told that newspaper that “Locke is a woman of her word who listens and has integrity.”
He said: “I feel very strongly that we have to restore trust in city hall. Through accountability, integrity, honesty and work ethic.”
Stutt, did I read that correctly?
“Accountability, integrity, honesty and work ethic”?
The article mentioned that Stutt had three adult children, but it’s quite obvious that Stutt never told the reporter that he as a proud former Mountie had a son who was also a Mountie working here in Surrey!
Why, Stutt, aren’t you proud of having a Mountie son?!
You didn’t even mention it in your bio on the Surrey Connect site — or anywhere else?
Or were you trying to hide something?
And why?
In any case, why didn’t you tell your fellow Surrey Connect councillors and Locke about your son?
Or did they all know about it, but kept quiet?
If they all knew about it, then they too are guilty of deception, aren’t they?
Locke, didn’t you know that Stutt’s son was a Mountie?
Didn’t you ever ask him what his kids do when you accepted him as a Surrey Connect candidate? (That’s called “due diligence,” by the way!)
And why are you — a true blue publicity hound – running away from the media now – only very conveniently telling some media you “will not be commenting further while this complaint (by the SPU) is active”? That would mean months!
VOICE OPINION COLUMN
MORE TO COME…
READ ALSO:
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and Councillor Rob Stutt MUST come clean!
