2003 Municipal Election: Mayoral Debate Live on Toronto1 Tonight 7PM

[nicetommy2002]

"No, a cop who looked like a teenager came up to him and gave him a warning, he stayed pretty quite for the last half. I was sitting almost directly behind him and for some reason that corner was full of nut jobs. 2 women behind me, one a Hall supporter another a Tory supporter, almost came to blows. "

ROFLMAO! Yeah, I did notice quite a few radicals in that audience. There was one guy directly behind Barbara Hall who kept making faces and hand gestures, whenever she would speak. It was a great debate to watch. Hall surprised me with how fiesty she was last night. I always used to think she would be too weak as a mayor, but now I think she would do well.

 

[building babel]

Hall's feisty behaviour is a kind of dead cat bounce.

 

[borgos]

I've now figured out Hall's strategy and its very crafty. She's going to lull all of us to sleep so that we'll forget to vote.

 

[sk8rboiiii]

The fact that many of Barbara Halls contributors are developers makes me not want to vote for her. I loved when they asked the question about their favorite books, it was so obviously a way of making Miller look even better. The other candidates floundered, "The Client", come on?

Nunziata looked very arrogant in the portion of the debate I watched, as if hes schemeing or thinks hell win the election anyways.

 

[ganjavih]

I think the final televised debate is on the CBC tonight at 6PM.

 

[nicetommy2002]

Barbara Hall took a potshot below the belt tonight... she confronted Miller with his "Looks Like a Mayor" ad, and insinuated that it was racial. She asked him if a person needs to have blonde hair etc... in order to qualify for the job of mayor.

I was quite disappointed with her display.

 

[ganjavih]

"Barbara Hall took a potshot below the belt tonight... she confronted Miller with his "Looks Like a Mayor" ad, and insinuated that it was racial. She asked him if a person needs to have blonde hair etc... in order to qualify for the job of mayor.

I was quite disappointed with her display."

I was shocked by that moment. If that's the best she can do, her campaign is truly dead.

It's clear that everyone is ganging up on Miller now. The way he handles himself is very impressive.

 

[ganjavih]

Nov. 6, 2003. 07:01 AM

Miller takes it on the chin, again

Blamed for MFP scandal, garbage
Other candidates let loose at debate

KERRY GILLESPIE
CITY HALL BUREAU

Call it Round 2.

Last night's CBC mayoral debate was a rehash of the Toronto Star/Toronto 1 debate the night before, where the other candidates ganged up on the frontrunner, Councillor David Miller.

He was lambasted for his opposition to the bridge to the island airport, his musings on road tolls as a way to pay for transit, his union ties and opposition to contracting out city services, and a financial plan that relies on increased provincial funding.

His opponents went so far as to hold Miller responsible for both the MFP computer-leasing scandal and the city's garbage woes because he was a councillor — one of 44 — when decisions were made.

None of that made him mad.

What did, he said, was when Barbara Hall accused him of stereotyping and being "insensitive" to the city's diverse populations for an ad with his picture that reads: "Looks like a mayor."

"Does this mean that you have to be a tall, blond, Anglo-Saxon man to be a mayor? What message does this send, David?" Hall asked during the debate.

"Barbara, I think that is grossly unfair. I'm proud of my record (on diversity). I've been fighting for new jobs for immigrants," Miller shot back.

The attacks on his policies were to be expected, he said, but the name-calling was a sign of desperation by the other candidates.

"I really thought that was beneath Barbara Hall. For the past two weeks, since the candidates have known my campaign has momentum, they've been saying the most unbelievable things about me, but that was the lowest," Miller told a post-debate news conference.

According to the most recent Ipsos-Reid poll, Miller is supported by 37 per cent of decided voters, followed by Tory, a former Rogers Cable Inc. executive, at 31 per cent.

Hall, who once had a commanding lead, has seen her support fall by more than half, to 19 per cent, and former MP John Nunziata has 6 per cent.

Former budget chief Tom Jakobek, who polls indicate has 2 per cent support, was not invited to last night's debate.

Within minutes of the debate's start, Nunziata launched into Miller for being "asleep at the switch" when the MFP deal with the city was signed.

Moments later, rather than answering a question on integrity by putting her own platform forward, Hall accused Miller of lacking integrity by pointing to his ads against airport expansion, which show jets flying over the waterfront — although the plan only contemplates turboprops.

Miller and Tory jousted with each other over financial plans.

"The fact of the matter is, you've never run a budget in your life," Tory said.

"That's why your plan, when you put it out, is described as hocus-pocus and voodoo economics."

It was described as "NDP economics," Miller corrected Tory, adding that's "probably better than Tory economics."

WITH FILES FROM CATHERINE PORTER

DAVID COOPER/TORONTO STAR
Toronto mayoral candidates David Miller, left, Barbara Hall, John Nunziata and John Tory prepare moments before last night's debate at the CBC Broadcast Centre. Tom Jakobek was not invited.