Kathleen Wynne gets pushback from John Tory on electoral reform comments

Premier gets pushback from Toronto mayor concerned electoral reforms like ranked ballots for municipal elections have stalled

Thestar.com
March 25, 2015
By Rob Ferguson

Premier Kathleen Wynne is getting pushback from Mayor John Tory after saying she’s waiting for word from Toronto city council before changing legislation to allow ranked ballots in the next civic election.

“Let’s let council make their decision,” she told reporters Wednesday after announcing music industry grants at a Scarborough recording studio.

“Obviously if they want to do it for the next election we have to move on it.”

But Tory - who spoke in favour of the voting reform earlier this week - quickly reminded the premier that council spoke its mind on the issue two years ago.

Tory, who became mayor last year, said he’s fed up with issues being debated over and over again.

“Don’t have endless discussions, endless ping pong games where nothing gets done ... would you please get on with this?” he urged.

“Now it’s up to the province to say, ‘Here’s the process we’re going to embark on to decide whether or not we’re going to amend the law to permit this.”

The next municipal elections in Ontario are in 2018.

A spokeswoman for Wynne later said the government acknowledges the validity of the Toronto city council vote two years ago and will now work out the next steps.

Wynne also noted the electoral reform - as specified in her mandate letter to Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Ted McMeekin earlier this year - is open to other cities and towns across the province as well.

“If municipalities are interested in going that route we’re interested in working with them. It’s an interesting idea, if councils want to try it I think that we owe them that respect.”

Tory told the Star on Tuesday that “change and reform” are needed in municipal elections, with the potential to dramatically alter the makeup of council.

Backers of ranked ballots, which would require citizens to mark their first, second, third and subsequent choices for mayor and council, say it would ensure winners are supported by more than half the voters, unlike the current “first-past-the-post” system in which a simple plurality is needed.

It’s widely believed that ranked ballots would make candidates less likely to unleash attack ads on opponents - because a broad base of support is required to win - and would encourage discussion of issues.

As well, proponents say citizens will not feel their votes are wasted.