Chief planner and deputy mayor in Twitter spat

Thestar.com
April 22, 2015

A Twitter spat has laid bare Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong's unhappiness with the city's high-profile chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat.

It started Wednesday morning when Minnan-Wong, a scrappy conservative voice on council, tweeted: "@jen_keesmat has blocked the deputy mayor from following her tweets. Any reason Madame Chief Planner?" Ssers who are blocked cannot see or retweet the tweets of the person who blocked them.

Reporters covering a not-spine-tingling executive committee item on Scarborough subway development charges asked him about it.

They trooped outside the committee room, the TV news camera lights switched on, and a scrum about Twitter blocking began.

"I don't know what I've said or done, if I have offended the chief planner. I find it unusual than any member of council would be blocked by the chief planner ... I haven't blocked her. I'm always interested to read her tweets," he said, later calling the blocking "remarkable."

A reporter asked him to describe his relationship with Keesmat, an outspoken advocate of "complete streets" planning that makes cyclists and pedestrians a priority alongside vehicle traffic.

"I've had my concerns about the chief planner, I haven't hidden my concerns that I've disagreed with her. I've disagreed with many public servants and had good working relationships with them. I just think it's highly unusual that she would blocked me. I would be interested to know if she's blocked any other members of council."

Minnan-Wong admitted he has blocked some Twitter users "oftentimes because they used bad language ... or when they're just haunting you and just continually using harsh language."

Asked if he is concerned over Keesmaat's outspokenness on issues including the Downtown Relief Line - which she has said is a top priority for Toronto, as Mayor John Tory's office argues his SmartTrack expansion plan is the focus - Minnan-Wong doubled down.

"She seems to want to step out on many occasions advocating for many different things that other public servants would like to say but fundamentally can't afford. She makes statements, she writes cheques that the city can't cash. She makes statements at the expense of other public servants who would love to say those things but they know there's a certain responsibility about making statements that can't properly be funded, that can't properly be done. Fundamentally, the public service, it's an organization that we have to act as a team ... otherwise there's complete disorganization, the budget process would go haywire. Most public servants act as a team and act within that arrangement. Some of the comments that she make place other public servants in a bad light."

Keesmaat tweeted back: "I believe I blocked @DenzilMW over a year ago. I guess he just noticed now. Happy to unblock. Done. #TOpoli"

Keesmaat then retweeted a statement from an admirer, who herself has been blocked by Minnann-Wong: "My Chief Planner @jen_keesmaat communicates publicly & effectively about how to build a city that benefits us all, & we're lucky to have her."

Minnan-Wong replied: "Pleased to have been unblocked by Chief Planner @jen_keesmaat. Looking forward to reading her tweets as it relates to city planning."

The bunfight was a bit of fun for the Twitterati but might signal trouble ahead. It is an open secret at city hall that Tory's office is also wary of Keesmaat and her advocacy outside their control.