Calgary's integrity commissioner clears Coun. Diane Colley-Urquhart for comments on police chief

Coun. Diane Colley-Urquharthas been cleared of any wrongdoing after four of her colleagues penned a letter to the city's Integrity Commissioner asking him to investigate comments she made about the police chief and his force.

The letter written by Coun. Jim Stevenson and signed by councillors Shane Keating, Andre Chabot and Ray Jones, was sent July 25 andhighlighted concerns that comments made byColley-Urquhart underminedpublic confidence in the police.

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Colley-Urquhart was critical ofRoger Chaffin's response to the appearance of a video showing a violent arrest outside a Calgary bar.

She was quoted as saying it seemed obvious to her that the chief didn't want to respond to the incident because he just didn't want to respond to it.

'Freedom of opinion and expression'

Integrity Commissioner Allen Sulatycky's finding, released by Colley-Urquhart,said there are no rules preventing an elected official from commenting on an investigation. Their actions are governed by "individual discipline," he wrote.

"Any attempt to restrain an individual, especially one who is elected, from stating a personally held opinion would violate the right to freedom of opinion and expression guaranteed in Canada and elsewhere," reads the report.

He found Colley-Urquhart's comments wereopinion thanks to those magic words "it's obvious to me."

"As such, in making them, she is protected by her right to freedom of opinion and expression," wrote Sulatycky.

'Slap on the wrist'

Stevenson doesn't see Sulatycky's ruling as a victory for Colley-Urquhart.

"I'm sure that she considers it a vindication. I would consider it a slap on the wrist, but I'm sure she doesn't," he said.

"If you do a proper lead in, then you can say it's my opinion. Well my opinion is that she shouldn't be giving her opinion when she's a member of the police commissionon something like this. But that's my opinion."

Keating echoed his colleague.

"Sometimes when you say your personal opinion you may cross lines," he said."It doesn't mean that you can't say them, I'm just not so sure they're the best way and the best time to do that."

Colley-Urquhartdeclined to comment.

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