Cranberger: Elected officials should set a respectful tone and demonstrate leadership and civility

tomtidgewellNovember 24, 2022

A complaint regarding the anti-Semitic incident with the mayor of Pointe-Claire was lodged with the Commission Municipale du Québec.

Pictured at the Olive Urquhart Sports Center in May, Point Clare Mayor Tim Thomas had to issue an apology after using anti-Semitic slurs at last week’s caucuses. Photo by Allen McInnis /Montreal Gazette

Last week, Point Clare Mayor Tim Thomas was accused of using anti-Semitic slurs during an on-camera session, later uttering “a term that perpetuates unjust and unjust racial stereotypes.” I was taken aback when he admitted and apologized.

Thomas, who was elected mayor last fall, used reprehensible ethnic slurs, according to the American Jewish Committee, a global advocacy group. used it when the ongoing file under review was usually discussed by elected officials and some administrative staff, including the Executive Director.

Should Thomas be forced to resign as mayor, or issue a more formal apology in addition to his Facebook post for voicing racial stereotypes?

A statement at the next city council meeting or a post on the city’s website would be a smart move. Over the past year, Thomas has posted occasional statements on his page on the Clare Web of Points. For example, last Friday he wrote that his first year in office “has proved more fruitful than I could have imagined, despite the obstacles.”

Past tenure at Pointe-Claire has seen its share of controversy surrounding the mayor’s vision of Garden City and high-density housing development. At city hall, there is a stark division between the mayor and the majority of lawmakers, the six who were re-elected last year from the previous administration.

A complaint about the mayor’s anti-Semitic slander has been filed with the Quebec City Commission, city councilor Tara Steinforth, who first condemned the caucus incident on her Facebook page last Wednesday, confirmed.

As a general guide, we recommend avoiding ethnic or traditional terminology when it may be offensive to a particular group of people. The problem is compounded when racial terms imply some kind of wrongdoing or demean.

In an apology on his Facebook page, Thomas said:

Hopefully, this experience will serve as a lesson to all, especially elected officials who should exercise leadership and respect civilized discourse.

Albert Kramberger is editor of the West Island/Off-Island section of the Montreal Gazette.

akramberger@postmedia.com