Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 05/02) - Once again questions over in-camera meetings are causing consternation among city councillors.

Councillors gathered Tuesday night for a special priorities, policies and budget committee meeting to hammer out its goals and objectives for the next two years. The meetings are normally open to the public, but council went in camera after only a few minutes.

Coun. Robert Hawkins said he left the meeting after being in camera for 90 minutes. They were still discussing with administration goal number three of a six-goal agenda when he left.

"We hadn't even finished half of it," Hawkins complained. "People are hiding behind closed camera, and they call it open and free discussion, but half the reason why we're on council is because we said we would be honest with the people, and we want to have open and free discussions."

Coun. Dave Ramsay, who was in Edmonton on Tuesday and did not attend the meeting, said he would have voted against going in camera as well.

"For some of them (councillors) they feel more comfortable saying things behind closed doors as opposed to a public setting," said Ramsay.

Coun. Ben McDonald defended council's decision to go in camera by saying administration has no arena to speak freely with councillors in a public setting, and sometimes they have to in order to hash out frameworks for city policy.

"Administration can't contradict elected officials in public," said McDonald. "They can discuss issues when it's in camera, and talk more openly about whether ideas are good or bad. "When we're discussing strategy, we need that kind of input. I was willing not to do it in camera, but by the same token I think it's the smartest way to do it."