John Tory takes on Trump and tariffs in Board of Trade speech

Thestar.com
June 12, 2018
Jennifer Pagliaro

Mayor John Tory says he stands with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau against U.S. President Donald Trump’s “sabre rattling,” and is calling on other big city mayors on both sides of the border to do the same.

Tory, whose public addresses are normally purposefully measured, spent a large part of a lunchtime speech Tuesday at the Toronto Region Board of Trade on Bay St. lecturing the U.S. president.

“This rhetoric, this sabre rattling, this stuff we’ve been seeing going on in the last number of weeks and months, benefits absolutely no one,” Tory said to loud applause from the business crowd.

“A difference of opinion on trade and on tariffs is no reason to insult your biggest customer and your best friend.”

Earlier, one of Trump’s senior advisers apologized for saying there is a “special place in hell” for Trudeau after he criticized the U.S.-imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum in the midst of ongoing negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The mayor said he would speak to his counterparts in Canada and the U.S., including cities with which Toronto has strong economic ties like Los Angeles and Dallas, and ask them to denounce the approach Trump’s government is taking.

“It can’t be taken lightly,” Tory said.

Afterwards, the mayor told reporters he had spoken to Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, who was at the G7 summit, at the end of last week.

“She welcomed any support that we could offer to the Government of Canada and to our country as we face this particular challenge,” Tory said of the call.

The annual “state of the city” speech Tuesday was Tory’s last of his current term as mayor. He is seeking re-election this October.

He took the remainder of his time on stage to promote a list of what he says are his accomplishments over the past four years, and to promise to build more affordable housing.

Although the city has struggled to meet a goal of creating 1,000 new affordable rental units each year, Tory said he will meet a minimum target of 40,000 new affordable units over the next 12 years, or more than 3,300 per year.

After being elected, Tory framed his first “state of the city” speech in 2015 around three themes: “A city that works, a city that moves and a city that cares.” He used the platform to announce a city building fund -- a property tax levy later approved by council to specifically fund affordable housing and transit projects.

In 2016, Tory announced his backing of road tolls for the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway at the Board of Trade -- a big political move for the usually cautious mayor. He later had the plan knocked down by Premier Kathleen Wynne, under pressure from her 905 caucus members.

In his 2017 speech, Tory focused exclusively on efforts to improve traffic congestion.