Soon-to-be former Brampton councillor Gael Miles met with federal opposition leader Andrew Scheer last week for a roundtable discussion on crime as the chair of Mayor-elect Patrick Brown’s “expert panel on crime” — the only problem is that panel no longer exists.

Miles attended the event with recently re-elected Wards 2 and 6 Coun. Michael Palleschi and other community stakeholders on Nov. 8.

“Pleased to Chair @patrickbrown Expert Panel on Crime. We will make recommendations that can be acted on. Attending a roundtable on Guns and Gangs with Mr. Scheer leader of the PC party 2day. We need sustainable resources to fight crime just like Toronto. #Brampton will be heard,” tweeted Miles ahead of the meeting.

“As Chair of Mayor Patrick Browns expert panel on crime Councillor Michael Palleschi’s and I shared BRAMPTON’s issues and concerns. Cracking down on gangs through judicial reform would be a step in the right direction,” she added in another tweet following the meeting posted with a photo of Scheer with Palleschi.

However, according to Brown, that panel’s mandate ended on election day, Oct. 22, and no longer exists.

“She was named chair in late summer to report back with recommendations prior to October 22nd,” Brown told The Brampton Guardian in an emailed statement. “I appreciated the work of the panel. It is not an ongoing committee of the city. It was intended to arm the new council and mayor with research and recommendations on a very important topic.”

That was news to Miles, who spoke at length with The Guardian about the expert panel on Friday, Nov. 9, when she listed active members and outlined the qualifications for additional candidates she said she was actively interviewing. She also said the panel had no mandated duration or size.

Miles clarified her position on Sunday after speaking to Brown, now saying she was mistaken and was only attending as a representative of council.

“Patrick Brown’s expert panel on crime was his initiative to get recommendations by the 23rd. He has my preliminary recommendations. I assumed if he was elected the work would continue but we are yet to have that conversation. I will be recommending we continue this important work,” she added.

“Let me be clear, I was notified of a roundtable on guns and gangs in my capacity as a member of Council. Councillor Palleschi and I attended to hear what Andrew Scheer had to say as members of Council and as interested citizens,” added Miles, despite her tweets before and after the Scheer meeting where she indicated she was attending as the panel’s chair.