Heh, wannabe one of Ontario premier Doug Ford’s super mayors? The line forms to the right—the far right. And you might not be quite as enthusiastic when you find that part of the inaugural process involves kissing Ford’s fat ass on the front steps of the Ontario Legislature. Besides, your idea of a super mayor might not jibe with what Ford has in mind.
Like all bills being brought forward at Queen’s Park these days, the titles they dream up are often the opposite of what Ford and his henchmen have in mind. It is like when trying to force the custodians, secretaries and teaching assistants back to work, they called their use of the ‘Not Withstanding’ clause in action something about keeping children in classrooms. It almost caused a general strike across Ontario.
Ford’s idea of a super mayor comes across as something his late brother Rob dreamed up while high on crack cocaine. This version involves a mayor who does what the premier tells him to do. It is all in aid of getting swift passage of permits needed for the premier’s developer friends. He is drawing all that money from developers away from the cities and over to Queen’s Park.
While John Tory might really enjoy his final term as Toronto mayor under this arrangement, he still likes to think he is his own man.
But what self-respecting mayor would not want to be guaranteed control of his council with as little as a third of the votes?
Ford might have sold the idea of super mayors by touting the American model. I am not sure if I need to tell you the American model is based on party politics up and down the line. And it is the budget and appointment controls that the U.S. mayor’s often have, that helps them keep their councils in line.
Frankly, I would hardly worry about mayors such as Toronto’s John Tory or Mississauga’s Bonnie Crosbie, Of course, John Tory’s third term as mayor of Toronto is just a victory lap. I start to worry when I see Brampton’s Patrick Brown licking his chops at the prospects.
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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry
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