Commentary
Politics can be a cruel master at times. Some politicians have had periods of fiery success resembling a mighty phoenix. Others have watched the flames fizzle out in a slow burn—and, in some cases, the most dramatic fashion imaginable.
The latter is what happened to Toronto Mayor John Tory’s career in the blink of an eye.
He had easily won his third consecutive mayoral term last November. No significant political opponents ran against him. A majority of Toronto voters were content with his policies and keeping him in power. Left-leaning city councillors had been able to work successfully with their left-leaning conservative (or Red Tory) mayor. If he finished what he claimed was his final term in office, he would
become the longest-serving Toronto mayor in history.
Tory’s position seemed secure. Then it all came crashing down.
On Feb. 10, the Toronto Star put out a
bombshell story that the 68-year-old Tory had had an affair with an unnamed 31-year-old former staffer during the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s no specific law in Ontario that prohibits workplace romances, even between bosses and staffers. Nevertheless, the Toronto city council’s code of conduct specifically states “members should perform their duties and arrange their private affairs in a manner that promotes public confidence and bears close public scrutiny.”
Tory has been married to his wife, Barbara, for over 40 years. He’s always promoted himself as a family man. Yet, he had done something that was wrong, immoral, and off-brand to the nth degree. As an experienced politician, he knew this would be impossible to recover from.
Tory acknowledged he had made a “serious error in judgment” and
resigned within an hour of the story’s release. He apologized to his wife, children, and the people of Toronto at a hastily arranged press conference. “It has been the job of a lifetime,” he
said, “and while I have let them and my family down in this instance, I have nonetheless been deeply honoured by the opportunity to serve the people of this wonderful city and I believe that I did some good for the city, that I did make a positive difference for the city that I truly love particularly during the pandemic.”
What happens now?
Jennifer McKelvie, Toronto’s deputy mayor,
will replace Tory as per the City of Toronto Act. Councillors will meet to declare the mayor’s position vacant, and have up to 60 days to pass a bylaw and declare a byelection. Prospective candidates will then be given between 30-60 days to file nomination papers, and election day will occur within 45 days.
McKelvie, and whoever becomes the next full-time mayor of Toronto, will have many difficult things on his or her plate to deal with.
The city isn’t as safe as it used to be. Toronto Police Service’s public safety portal noted the city experienced a significant 17.8 percent
increase in major crimes in 2022. This includes assaults (9.8 percent), robberies (28.5 percent), and auto thefts (44.2 percent).
Homelessness is a growing concern. There were 110 people who died in Toronto’s homeless shelters last year, a number that a formerly homeless person
told the CBC was “mind-bogglingly high.” It also led to spikes in people living on Toronto’s streets, getting involved in crime, doing drugs—and, in some cases, perishing from these activities.
Transit is a mess. Tory spent an estimated $8 billion on his still-unfinished SmartTrack plan for transit. He spearheaded a
proposed $53-million subsidy increase in this year’s municipal budget for the Toronto Transit Commission, bringing the total subsidy to nearly $1 billion. Regardless, TTC fees for passengers will hike up another 10 cents.
Toronto’s economy has declined, too. A staggering 2022 budget shortfall of $703 million due to COVID-19 spending is the reason why. In a December 2022 press release, Tory announced a motion supported by city council “urging the Government of Canada to honour its election campaign commitment and join the Province of Ontario in supporting the City of Toronto’s 2022 COVID-19 budget shortfall.”
Another major problem is on the horizon, too.
Most of the likely mayoral candidates in the byelection will either be centre-left or far left. Tory’s ideas and policies haven’t been consistently conservative, but they were largely pro-business and satisfactory to Toronto-based Tories and Liberals. His replacement could potentially end up being far worse for the city’s already-weakened political health and economic well-being.
The provincial government
does have the right to intervene, modify the rules, and appoint a new mayor. Whether Ontario Premier Doug Ford will do this remains to be seen.
One unexpected resignation has led to a domino effect of forthcoming headaches in Toronto’s municipal arena. The master’s cruel laugh was heard far and wide, indeed.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
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