Appointee's views on abortion, climate change come under fire

Ottawa city councillorsquestioned a nominee's views on issues including abortion and climate change Wednesday, but ultimately approved his appointment to the transit commission.

Michael Olsen ran unsuccessfully to be a trustee for the Ottawa Catholic School Board in last fall's election.

During the campaign, he answered a survey for the Campaign Life Coalition in whichhe saidhe believed women should not have access to abortions.

He was later among 92 residents who applied for a seat to join eight elected councillors onthe city's transit commission, and Mayor Jim Watson said he believed the selection committee rankedOlsen highest among the applicants.

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At council, Coun.Shawn Menard attempted to send Olsen's nomination back to the selection committee for another lookbecause of his stance against abortion.

City clerk and solicitor Rick O'Connor, however, advised council thata person's beliefs on abortion would beprotected Charter rightsand not directly related to participating on transit commission whereas his beliefs onclimate change would likely not be protected.

Council ultimately appointed Olsen to the commission.

Panel stuck to transit, chair says

Menardlater clarified to reporters his greater concern about Olsen's appointment was that he appearedto denyclimate change, a stance he said would be inconsistent with guiding the city's transit system one of its main ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Olsen had challengeda November 2017 article in theOttawa Citizen newspaper about whatclimate change would mean in the capital region, a challenge that was dismissed bythe NationalNewsMediaCouncil.

CBC News asked Olsen about the comments made about him during the council meeting, and he only said he didn'tsee how his personal beliefs were relevant to the transit commissioner post.

The selection panel stuck to questions about transit.- Allan Hubley

When asked directly if he believed humans caused climate change, Olsen saidhe didn'tsee the relevance of the issueand declined further comment.

KanataSouth Coun. Allan Hubley is the new transit commission chair, and was on the selection committee that chose Olsen,Leah Williams,Sarah Wright-Gilbert andAnthonyCarricato, who lost toMenard in Capital ward last fall.

Those other three appointments went unchallenged at council.

"Our number onefocus was they had some experience or something to contribute on transit," Hubley said."The selection panel stuck to questions about transit."

In addition to Menard, the other six councillors whoregistered their opposition to Olsen's appointment were Riley Brockington, Jeff Leiper, Catherine McKenney, Mathieu Fleury, Theresa Kavanagh, and Diane Deans.