Mayoral candidate Sylvia Bishop and her Team Delta slate have unveiled a nine-point Code of Ethical Conduct in the lead up to this fall’s civic election.
Bishop and her four running mates were at the Delta Town & Country Inn Thursday to sign the code in what she called a proactive move designed to promote ethical conduct and practices during the campaign.
(For more civic election coverage visit http://www.delta-optimist.com/municipal-election)
“My belief is that the public increasingly wants to see their elected representatives and candidates for public office focus on and debate important issues, instead of engaging in personal attacks or objectionable behaviour,” said the two-term Delta councillor.
Incumbent councillor Robert Campbell and newcomers Joan Hansen, Kim Kendall and Simran Walia joined Bishop in signing the nine-point code that touches on everything from honesty and integrity to objectivity and accountability.
“Our campaign team is now preparing for an intense effort leading up to the election on October 20,” said Bishop. “And we thought it important to lay down guidelines – our Code of Ethical Conduct – for each Team Delta candidate, as well as every individual working on our behalf, over the next many weeks and months.”
She said election campaigns all over have seen an increase in discourtesy and intemperate behaviour, so she wanted to take steps to raise the level of public discourse.
Bishop said she doesn’t believe the upcoming campaign in Delta will get nasty and said she is inviting the other slates contesting the election to also sign the code.
“By taking this step early in the campaign season, I believe we are demonstrating leadership on an issue that is important to Delta residents – and, indeed, to all British Columbians.”
