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Lawyers for city*two-faced: WilsonThe City of Winnipeg gets “hit over the head*’ because Winnipeg lawyers doing workfor the city also defend people fighting the city, Bob Wilson, Progressive Conservative member of the Manitoba legislature fox Wolseley, charged Thursday.Mr. Wilson, a former Winnipeg councillor, told thecommittee to review the City of Winnipeg Act some lawyers know about expropriations in advance and use thisknowledge to get clients'%“These ambulance chasers are running out and finding out where the city will expropriate,he said.M r. Wilson refused to name any of the lawyers.He also implied members of civic council are involved,saying they have “both hands in the trough” by working for the provincial legal aid plan on Monday and “protecting the citizens of Winnipeg on Wednesday,” (at council meetings).He said in an interview after the public hearing Thursday the reference to Monday * was to the administrative court, which deals with violations of civic bylaws such ,as the poundbylaw/(This court doesn’t handle expropriation cases.)Mr. Wilson declined toname the councillors involved.Coun. Morris Kaufman (Independent—Fort Rouge) is afull-time legal aid lawyer.Coun. Kaufman said in an interview later Thursday he has never appeared before the administrative court and thus never had to consider a possible conflict of interest.Coun. Kaufman said in atelephone interview Friday no member of city council who is a lawyer should defend a client in bylaw court.Mr. Wilson claimed such an action would constitute a conflict of interest under the act.He said he gave up his job as a bailiff when elected to council because such a con* flict would result.Council should elect someone other than the mayor to meet with the board of commissioners, he told the eom-mitteeiMr, Wilson also advocated the act be amended so eom-munity committees would have the final say on rezon-ing applications.A brief presented by the Winnipeg Labor Council called for a 26-member civic council.But Harry Munro, executive secretary of the council,who read the brief, said he believes a 13-member council would be adequate.The review committee is holding hearings in its offices at 2 6 7 Edmonton Street, Suite 309;Sessions scheduled for Fri-d a y night and Saturday morning have been cancelled.
Newspaper Details
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Fri, Nov 14, 1975
Page 3
Full Page
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Anonymous
CA 20 Jun 2020
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