Defamation Trial Shown Video Of Council Meeting

Saint John City Solicitor John Nugent tells the defamation trial of former Common Councillor -- and current St. Stephen Town Manager -- John Ferguson, under the Municipalities Act, he was not required as a Pension Board member to quantify the extent of his own personal interest in the city's pension plan.


Ferguson's lawyer Rod Gillis estimates Nugent's pension is worth 1.7 million dollars which the City Solicitor has not disputed.
 
Gillis also suggested the pension board could have reduced benefits 9 years ago for the future retirees but that would have adversely affected Nugent's own pension and that of now retired City Manager Terry Totten.
 
The trial has been shown video of a Common Council meeting that shows other Council members were also concerned about the early retirement buyouts and city pension plan.


Then Common Councillor Ivan Court is shown agreeing with some of the things Ferguson was saying about the cost of the early retirement packages.
 
Councillor Bill Farren expresses support for Ferguson saying there was mass confusion, mixed messages, walls being put up and city staff not wanting to give information to the extent he was beginning to suspect things and those raising questions were accused of nit picking.