Councillor Robinson Urges Premier Ford to Intervene in
Pickering Sanctions, Warns of Growing Threat to Democracy Under Proposed Bill 9
City Councillor Lisa Robinson has once again called on Premier Doug Ford to step in and address what she describes as ongoing political punishment and financial retaliation being carried out against her by Pickering Council.
In a formal letter sent this week to the Premier’s Office, Councillor Robinson detailed how she has now gone one full year without pay for speaking out against waste, dishonesty, and backroom politics at Pickering City Hall.
“I’ve been called the ‘Rob Ford of Pickering’ more times than I can count,” Robinson said. “Not because of scandal, but because I speak up, I challenge corruption, and I fight for the people. And now I’m being financially strangled for doing exactly what I was elected to do.”
This is not the first time Councillor Robinson has reached out for help. Previous letters to both Premier Ford and former Minister of Municipal Affairs Paul Calandra received no reply. With the recent appointment of Minister Rob Flack, she is once again demanding action to stop what she calls “a clear abuse of power and process.”
Robinson is also requesting to speak as a delegate at the Standing Committee of The Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy, regarding the newly proposed Bill 9, which would allow elected officials to be removed by a vote of council.
“If what’s happening to me in Pickering is allowed to continue – and if Bill 9 passes – we are handing political elites the power to erase their opponents,” Robinson said. “Unless we’re talking about criminal acts like sexual assault or fraud, it is the voters – not council insiders – who should decide who stays or goes. Anything else is undemocratic, and it sets a terrifying precedent for every municipality in Ontario.”
“Let’s be honest,” Robinson added. “The City of Pickering has worked hard to manufacture a false narrative of fear, not just about me, but about the public. People started speaking out against what Council was doing to me, and instead of facing that backlash with transparency, they moved meetings online and shut the doors. That wasn’t about safety – it was about control. They’re not afraid of threats. They’re afraid of the truth.”
Robinson is calling on the Premier and the Minister of Municipal Affairs to review the conduct of Integrity Commissioners across Ontario and examine how Code of Conduct tools are being weaponized to silence dissent.
“A full year without pay for standing up and telling the truth – that’s not democracy. That’s political punishment,” said Robinson. “This isn’t just about me anymore. This is about every Councillor, every town, and every voter in Ontario. If they can do it to me, they can do it to anyone.”
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