March 9/04 Report
9:45 am

Committee members in attendance:
Andrea Horwath - Chair - 9:39 am
Sam Merulla - Vice Chair - acted as chair for this meeting - In 9:35 am
Tom Jackson - 9:40 am
Bill Kelly - absent
Brian McHattie - in 10:14 am
Bernie Morelli - In 9:36 am, out 10:00, in 10:12

Non-committee members in attendance:
David Mitchell - In - 9:25 am

Staff:
Joanne Priel
?

Media:
Chinta Puxley- Spectator
Ken Mann - CHML
Kevin Werner - Brabant

Meeting began with quorum at 9:45 am

Minutes of January 27 meeting were approved.

DELEGATION REQUESTS:
4.1 Jim Enos, Hamilton-Wentworth Family Action Council respecting Reducing Social Service Costs through the Decreasing of Teen Pregnancy Rates in Hamilton
- this was approved for a future meeting

DELEGATIONS
6.1 Ms. Cleda Yachetti of Canadians for Positive Community Standards (see item 7.1)
MS. Yachetti made a presentation under section 7.1

6.2 Mr. Sam Cino, Citizen Advocate respecting Homelessness in Hamilton
Mr. Cino's presentation is recorded below after Ms. Yachetti's presentation

STAFF PRESENTATION
7.1 Age of Consent Campaign (LS03015)(City Wide) (Referred from Hearings Sub-Committee on March 27, 2002 and on June 4, 2003) This was initiated by Cleda Yachetti of Canadians for Positive Community Standards (CPCS) and a local chapter of Canada Family Action Coalition to counter recent "narrow" Supreme Court decisions on child pornography having to do with the John Robin Sharpe case where the Canadian Supreme Court upheld 6 to 3 that child pornography was a constitutionally protected form of expression. A disclaimer at the end of the agenda report says "Since the subject matter of the age of consent for sexual activity is beyond the legal authority of a municipality, there are no City of Hamilton policies which are relevant to the issues discussed in this report" (see agenda for more details). With the leading of Tom Jackson and former Police Chief Robertson of the Police Services Board, a meeting was held with Legal Services Division staff in January to discuss appropriate approaches to this problem.

Presentation by Cleda Yachetti; Regrets from ? Mahaffi who is ill.
Her report is in the agenda - Some of her comments follow: She is not happy with the child pornography law; she wishes to raise the age of consent from age14 to 18.
She recommended people to see the film "Monster" as an example of what can happen to abused children; problems because of premature sexual activity - teen pregnancy, promiscuity, abortions because of involvement of older men with young teen girls; raising age of consent would deter these problems; also public health would be improved; the present laws (consent at 14) create problems; sexual health services would still be present but use of these services might decrease as more abstention (from sexual activity) occurred; we should be suspect of  the "autonomy notion" for children; presently children are being pulled away from their parental influence;  John Robin Sharpe, the noted Canadian pedophile is an enemy to raising the age of consent; another notable wants it raised to age 16;
(Jackson was seen to speak to chair - Merulla briefly (less than 5 minutes) during Yachetti's presentation)
(10:00 Morelli out; still quorum)
Ms. Yachettie said her organization's resolution is supported by several local politicians - including federal Liberal Beth Phinney and John Bryden;
(10:12 Morelli  in)
Ms. Yachetti's report was received unanimously
Jackson - congratulations for the report; none of us would want a Sharpe living in our neighbourhood; any abuse of children by adults is wrong; the human and financial cost - youngsters 14 years of age are being abused; other municipalities have passed resolutions to the federal government; not about relationships of young people but about adults exploiting the young; age 14 is wrong and we need to do something about it; I support the CPCS; we have too many sexual offenders in certain neighbourhoods to the point that we can't get middle class people to move there (to those neighbourhoods - because of fear);
Resolution with Horwath (not sure of her involvement) and CPCS - moved by Jackson seconded by Morelli; passed unanimously
Morelli - a great part of the problem has to do with self esteem; he said he had participated in a meeting in Toronto regarding this matter
(10:14 McHattie in)
Morelli - we don't do enough -he saluted the efforts of Yachetti's group; (a need ) to promote self esteem; he said we are all vulnerable; part of his strategy is to support this effort.
A motion was made (not sure who)  and carried to accept Ms. Yachetti's report.

6.2 - Sam Cino - presented his "Homelessness ?" report - a 2 page copy plus suicide statistics was distributed  - "why are there homeless people?" - broken families contribute to homelessness; he was homeless for a time because of family court judges who wouldn't allow him to see his child; McGuinty's (liberal government's) initiatives to cause fathers to lose access to children for missing support payments is corrupt; suicides of fathers have resulted.
Horwath moved, Jackson seconded, to receive the report - carried
Question to Mr. Cino about his experiences - he began to attack the judges and the provincial government as being corrupt and Merulla seemed to dismiss him and Mr. Cino stood down.

Horwath question - to staff - ? - couldn't hear.

Issue - not on the agenda - of City staff denying freedom of information requests from the public and councillors on the basis of "contentiousness" - particularly the information on the revamping of the restaurant inspection system:

McHattie spoke about wording of a motion - Merulla moved, Jackson seconded - a motion regarding requesting information about the restaurant inspections
Mitchell - concerned to not hear from legal  staff on this matter; a staff (male) answered that the 
Clerk's office is reviewing the matter;
Mitchell - just ok to release information at tomorrow night's Council meeting; Merulla - (couldn't hear)
Mchattie - amended the motion on the floor - and some other comments?
Merulla - staff is acting in a bureaucratic fashion.
Clerk - (checking wording of the motion) - wording is that the information on restaurant inspections be released immediately - McHattie moved, ? seconded,  carried unanimously.

Motion to go in camera at 10:25 am - carried - to deal with item 13 (in agenda) - Private and Confidential; 13.1 - Legal Advice/Social Housing Reform Act; 13.2 - Litigation File 97-017 (LS03001(a) (City Wide)

Meeting attended by Murray Lumley and Janet Chafe.