A Saskatoon city councilor says she has no intention to resign after being disciplined for the release of a confidential city document.
Coun. Pat Lorje was sanctioned Monday in an unprecedented move by fellow city councillors.
The sanctions include restrictions on how Lorje views and receives confidential documents. She will no longer receive electronic copies and paper copies will be watermarked and will have to be returned to the city clerk after in-camera meetings.
Lorje has apologized for what she calls an unintentional breach, saying she was seeking confidential advice about the report from a trusted advisor.
“When I sought confidential advice on a document I did not realize I was in breach of Saskatoon city council code of conduct,” Lorje said. “I certainly did not intend to be in breach, by seeking private, independent, confidential advice from a trusted advisor. I did not consider such a person to be a member of the public as defined by the city’s code of conduct."
Lorje said she did not try to hide the breach and in a statement added "given the interpretation of the code by city council, I gave my solemn undertaking never to do it again. I have apologized unreservedly for this unintentional breach.”
The Ward 2 councillor said she does not plan to resign in the wake of the leak.
“I was elected to represent the citizens of Ward 2 and the citizens of this city. I will carry on regardless."
But at least one other councilor says the release of confidential information is a serious issue.
“If I had purposely leaked a report by the city solicitor that contained legally sensitive information that could be damaging to the city then, yes, I would resign,” said Coun. Tiffany Paulson.
The city won't confirm the nature of the document leaked but Paulson said it was a report that was jointly authored by Jeff Jorgenson, the city’s general manger of transportation and utilities, and city solicitor Patricia Warwick.
Warwick said the document remains in camera because it could affect the city in legal proceedings and it contains legal advice subject to solicitor-client privilege.
Meanwhile, city council will discuss whether parts of the investigator’s report into the leak will be made public. That discussion will also happen at a behind-closed-doors executive meeting.
