Northern Light
Superstar
One candidate for Mayor chiming in:
Another former Mayor as well:
Another former Mayor as well:
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Premier Doug Ford's Ontario
- Thread starter animatronic
- Start date
JasonParis
Moderator
I don't think our governmental system for Toronto works well currently, but like most Ford ideas, this probably wouldn't have been that high on my list of things that need done. Still, I can see how it may help on the housing and transit fronts by somewhat disempowering some councillors beholden to their local NIMBYs. Having said that, I also wish a larger suite of changes were made here... return to a larger council, some councillors elected at-large, stronger community councils, more control over some provincial matters like drinking hours, ability to set road tolls, etc.
zang
Senior Member
kEiThZ
Superstar
Whether you like or dislike the current mayor, the current system does not work. People vote for the mayor expecting a certain vision. But the mayor isn't empowered to deliver a thing. Meanwhile thanks to the nature of local politics, incumbent councillors are like Lords with their own fiefdoms.
There's not a lot I agree with Ford on. But cutting council and imposing a strong mayor system are changes I can get behind.
Alternatively, I'd be okay with having a parliamentary system too where the mayor is a premier-esque first-among-equals figure empowered to appoint an executive/cabinet from a caucus.
There's not a lot I agree with Ford on. But cutting council and imposing a strong mayor system are changes I can get behind.
Alternatively, I'd be okay with having a parliamentary system too where the mayor is a premier-esque first-among-equals figure empowered to appoint an executive/cabinet from a caucus.
Northern Light
Superstar
Chicago and many other U.S. Cities with strong mayor systems are catastrophic failures with extraordinary corruption.
John Tory is perfectly capable of getting his vision through Council; if only he had one.
kEiThZ
Superstar
What is it with people that they can only think of American examples? Are London and Paris "catastrophic failures with extraordinary corruption"?
Fair enough, if you don't like the idea, propose an alternative. And sorry, the status quo ain't working for anybody but wealthy homeowners. Council has become a cabal of NIMBYs. And the current system works well to let mayors like Tory escape responsibility. They can do the Spiderman même with council on every issue and all of them escape responsibility. I, personally, would prefer the Montreal type system. But that seems to be too advanced for Ontarians to consider.
Ironically, a strong mayor is what Bogota has. Gil Penalosa should be familiar with it. And he should know how much change he'd be able to drive as a mayor with full executive powers.
Fair enough, if you don't like the idea, propose an alternative. And sorry, the status quo ain't working for anybody but wealthy homeowners. Council has become a cabal of NIMBYs. And the current system works well to let mayors like Tory escape responsibility. They can do the Spiderman même with council on every issue and all of them escape responsibility. I, personally, would prefer the Montreal type system. But that seems to be too advanced for Ontarians to consider.
Ironically, a strong mayor is what Bogota has. Gil Penalosa should be familiar with it. And he should know how much change he'd be able to drive as a mayor with full executive powers.
ShonTron
Moderator
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Listening to Brad Bradford carrying water for John Tory this morning on Metro Morning, calling Tory a "consensus builder" was really disappointing, and saying how much faster it would be to build housing with Tory given all those additional powers like the veto and additional agenda-setting abilities. He's a former planner. He should know better.
Bradford forgot to mention that he might not have won without Tory's explicit support in the 2018 election, and he builds a "consensus" though his committee appointment powers, vote whipping, and marginalization of progressives.
In most US cities with a "strong mayor" system, the mayoralty, which has executive powers, is separate from council, which acts like a legislative chamber, with each providing a check and balance. What Ford is pitching is not that - it's more tweaks giving the mayor more power, but weakening council, rather than bifurcating their responsibilities and giving each their own powers.
Bradford forgot to mention that he might not have won without Tory's explicit support in the 2018 election, and he builds a "consensus" though his committee appointment powers, vote whipping, and marginalization of progressives.
In most US cities with a "strong mayor" system, the mayoralty, which has executive powers, is separate from council, which acts like a legislative chamber, with each providing a check and balance. What Ford is pitching is not that - it's more tweaks giving the mayor more power, but weakening council, rather than bifurcating their responsibilities and giving each their own powers.
Northern Light
Superstar
On housing, multiple Housing Now sites have cleared Council, some, a very long time ago; yet not one has broken ground. Targets have been perpetually missed, both pre-Council (not getting approvals/RFPs etc done on time) and post-Council once entirely in the hands of CreateTO and/or the Proponent.
That has nothing to do with agenda-setting, or vetoes.
Jonny5
Senior Member
Horwath has a press conference for a "major announcement" in Hamilton this morning...
DSC
Superstar
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Well, THAT is a surprise :-> She may actually make a decent Mayor, I guess we will find out.
Towered
Senior Member
I think she'd be a good mayor. Local politics seems more in her wheelhouse than provincial.
ShonTron
Moderator
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It's funny to think that depending on how the municipal elections go, there could be one former Liberal leader, one former NDP leader, and two former OPC leaders acting as mayors for four of Ontario's ten largest cities.
(Had Doug not cancelled the elected chairs for Peel and York, it'd be just two).
(Had Doug not cancelled the elected chairs for Peel and York, it'd be just two).
lenaitch
Senior Member
It's a career lifestyle. I don't think movement between various levels of government is all that unusual, although upward vs. downward in succession is typically more common.
Beats working.
Beats working.
Richard White
Senior Member
It's more common than you may think.
John Tory and Patrick Brown both became mayor of Toronto and Brampton respectively.
It is the haven of those past their political prime and I think Andrea will do very well.
I’d take a traditional job any day over being a politician. Everyone is your boss and thinks they know more than you do, and you can kiss privacy goodbye, particularly the higher the level. They pay scale isn’t all that great if you’ve got any decent skill set. There is a reason that the best and brightest don’t run for office. Who needs it?