Toronto mayoral candidates trade shots and set their sights on Tory

Thestar.com
October 10, 2018
Samantha Beattie

One of the final debates of the mayoral campaign saw emboldened candidates not afraid to take shots at one another and demand answers of incumbent John Tory.

“Can I put on the record you will not cut services,” asked candidate Sarah Climenhaga to the mayor, after he reiterated his campaign promise that the city does not need to raise property taxes above inflation.

The Toronto Region Board of Trade and The Globe and Mail host a debate featuring Sarah Climenhaga, Saron Gebresellassi, Jennifer Keesmaat and Mayor John Tory, moderated By Nicole MacIntyre, The Globe's Deputy National Editor.

The debate rules didn’t allow him to answer, but he told reporters afterwards that if re-elected, “I absolutely have no plans to cutting services.”

It’s his main contender Jennifer Keesmaat, Tory argued, that will have to raise taxes to pay for the promises she’s made this campaign --doubling per capita arts funding and creating 100,000 affordable housing units, for example.

“I will not make this less affordable for those who already have a hard time paying,” Keesmaat told reporters when asked if she would increase property taxes. She has already committed to tax residents whose properties are at or above $4 million in value by an additional 0.4 per cent to pay for an affordable home ownership program. She said other promises like taking down the Gardiner Expressway East will save the city money.

The debate took place at the Toronto Region Board of Trade on Tuesday evening and featured Tory, Keesmat, Climenhaga and Saron Gebresellassi covering affordability, transit, governance and business.

“We can’t live in a fairy tale world without raising taxes,” Climenhaga said. It’s completely unacceptable homeless people are sleeping outside of financial towers on King and Bay and outside of city hall.”

She challenged Tory on his transit plans, calling the hybrid Gardiner Expressway East option “antiquated.” Keesmaat backed her up, saying it was “1950s infrastructure” and a “bad plan” that should be ripped up.

“Why is Tory willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the expressway, instead of providing affordable transit?” Gabresellassi asked. “No more saying we can’t pay for transit and can’t afford it. It’s about political willpower and courage.”

Mayoral candidates Jennifer Keesmaat and John Tory during the Toronto Region Board of Trade’s mayoral debate on Oct. 9, 2018.

Keesmaat and Tory squabbled over what each had done while working for the city, Keesmaat as chief city planner and Tory during the last four years as mayor.

On affordable housing, Tory said he agreed with Keesmaat that more public land should be made available, but it will take longer than she’s anticipating. 　

You should’ve fixed that. That’s what mayors do,” Keesmaat said. “You complain about not getting enough affordable housing in this city. The buck starts with you.”

Tory repeatedly said Keesmaat would be ineffective at working with the province, stating she’d be “at war” with them on Monday and then calling them with requests on Tuesday.

“Good luck,” Tory said.

Tory’s message was clear, Torontonians should vote for him so he can continue to move the city forward, “not backward.”

The other candidates begged to differ.

“The people of the city of Toronto are done with a John-Jennifer race. It is lack luster, and two status-quo politicians can’t relate to status quo of the residents of Toronto,” Gebresellassi said.

Climenhaga said: “Are we ready to embrace a new direction in Toronto? I know I am.”

The debate was interrupted more than half a dozen times by audience members standing up, shouting at candidates and at times voicing their support of a far-right fringe candidate who was not present. Security escorted them out.