Who’d have thought a Disney movie could cause so much controversy?
A decision to support sending a group of school children to watch Earth Movie squeaked by with a 4-3 recorded vote.
Discussion came about following a finance and personnel committee recommendation to approve a request from the Minto Clifford Public School to donate $262.50 (including GST) to bus the grade 4 and 5 class to the Norgan Theatre to see Earth Movie.
The issue was not so much with the school’s request, but the precedent such a decision would create. Councillor Barb Burrows requested a recorded vote on the matter.
Deputy-mayor Judy Dirksen said, “There’s a lot of really good reasons for doing this, but there are a couple of really scary reasons not to.”
She explained, “I just think this could be the first in a long line (of similar requests). It might be a dangerous precedent we are setting.”
She had no issue with the movie’s rating, but said, “It could just be the start of a schlmozzle.”
Councillor Rick Hembly said the Norgan is Minto’s facility, and as a result the town would be making money.
“I don’t see a problem,” Hembly said.
Councillor Dave Turton said while he was originally in favour of the idea, “I can’t vote in favour of this.” He said the issue is if the municipality is setting a precedent.
“It isn’t about whether the movies is PG-13 or not,” Turton said. “I think we would be setting a precedent and that there will be a long list (of applicants).”
Councillor Wayne Martin supported the idea.
“We’ve set lots of precedents,” Martin said. “My theory on it is that you support the kids as much as possible first.”
Councillor Tammy Reiner said one benefit she saw is a chance for children who may not have done so in the past to visit the Norgan Theatre.
She, too, agreed council has set a number of precedents, “but we have to decide individually.”
When the recorded vote came, council approved the decision in a 4-3 vote:
Anderson – Yes;
Dirksen – No;
Burrows – No;
Hembly – Yes;
Martin – Yes;
Reiner – Yes;
Turton – No.
