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Friday » November 7 » 2003
New era for Toronto
       
National Post
Friday, November 07, 2003
Canadians far and wide are no doubt familiar with the current Mayor of Toronto, the bumptious and gaffe-prone Mel Lastman. Among numerous stumbles were his appearance on CNN during the SARS crisis to announce he had never heard of the WHO, and his famous comment on Africa: "What the hell do I want to go to a place called Mombassa ... I just see myself in a pot of boiling water with all these natives dancing around me." That, some say, helped kill Toronto's chances for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
With Mr. Lastman's retirement, a new era is about to dawn on Canada's largest city. Toronto is nearing the end of a refreshing and robust mayoral campaign. Unlike the last election, when the most serious competition to an increasingly erratic Mr. Lastman was environmentalist/worm farmer Tooker Gomberg, the current race has given Torontonians a serious choice as to their city's future. Five viable candidates have been fighting it out, in debates and the media, each advancing intriguing policies and varying but identifiable leadership qualities. That does not mean, however, that all are equally up to the task of revitalizing the city as Canada's leading metropolis. What Toronto needs is a sharp, focused mayor to get it working properly again.
Polls suggest that both Tom Jakobek and John Nunziata have mostly been dismissed by the electorate, and rightly so. Mr. Jakobek, despite a history of sensible fiscal conservatism, has been badly discredited by his involvement in the city's computer leasing scandal. As for Mr. Nunziata, hard to take seriously at the best of times, the former MP and noted grandstander further undermined his credibility by turning bribery accusations against another candidate (subsequently dismissed by police) into a cheap publicity stunt.
Also falling by the wayside is Barbara Hall. By virtue of her experience as mayor of pre-amalgamation Toronto, and her candidacy against Mr. Lastman in 1997, Ms. Hall entered the race as the perceived favourite. But she has seemed ill-prepared for the rigours of the campaign. Her vision for the city is murky and tentative, and her ability to think quickly on her feet questionable. Not surprisingly, her support has plummeted as voters realize she lacks the gravitas for the city's top job.
That brings us to David Miller and John Tory, who have deservedly emerged as the two clear front-runners. Both have run slick campaigns, carry minimal political baggage and are better suited than any of the other candidates to represent Toronto within Canada and abroad. But of the two main contenders, only one has outlined a vision that would serve the city well.
Mr. Miller's success has revolved largely around his opposition to a planned bridge from downtown to the city's island airport. Aside from the absurdity of his campaign against the airport's expansion, including wildly exaggerated claims of increased air traffic over the city and assurances that he could overturn already approved plans without incurring major penalties, it has served to obscure far more serious concerns with his candidacy.
Mr. Miller, a New Democrat backed by most of the city's unions, has made no secret of his plan to raise residential and property taxes annually according to the rate of inflation. But his platform also banks on nearly $300-million in additional funding from the federal and provincial governments, a long shot at best, and he refuses to consider any serious cutbacks or outsourcing of municipal services. Given his faith in big government solutions to every problem, there is reason to believe he may wind up supporting the sorts of tax increases that would drive away both businesses and residents from Toronto's core.
Mr. Tory is hardly running on a staunchly conservative platform, and some of his policies -- including opposition to high-rise condominium projects -- are very ill-conceived. But unlike Mr. Miller, he seems to grasp the fiscal challenges of the city's budget shortfall, expected to top $200-million next year. His platform includes a complete review of program spending, reductions to councillors' office budgets, a civil service hiring freeze and the sale of "non-core" assets -- all well-needed reforms that have been overlooked for too long. Meanwhile, he promises a property tax freeze following a single-year increase limited to the inflation rate.
It is not just on economic issues where Mr. Tory trumps his rival. Unlike Mr. Miller, he has shown a strong commitment to public safety by promising to hire an additional 400 police officers. And even on the issues close to left-wingers' hearts, like public transit and housing, his plans are both more practical and more comprehensive.
Mr. Tory's best qualification, though, has nothing to do with his platform. Because the mayor represents just one of 43 votes on Toronto's council, the position requires a strong degree of moral leadership to achieve any degree of effectiveness. Unlike Mr. Miller, who has spent nearly a decade in municipal politics, he would bring a fresh perspective to City Hall. More importantly, his tremendous management experience -- including as president and CEO of Rogers Cable and Rogers Media, and commissioner of the Canadian Football League -- would command strong respect from city politicians. As opposed to Mr. Lastman, who frequently lost control of Toronto's dysfunctional city council, we believe he would succeed in achieving results.
On Monday, Torontonians will make an important decision -- not just for themselves, but for the entire country. Whoever wins, a new political era is set to dawn over Toronto, and perhaps over urban politics across Canada. And for better or worse, Toronto remains Canada's most-powerful economic engine. To help get it running full-speed, voters should choose John Tory.
© Copyright 2003 National Post
Copyright © 2003 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp. All rights reserved.
Optimized for browser versions 4.0 and higher.
Friday » November 7 » 2003
New era for Toronto
       
National Post
Friday, November 07, 2003
Canadians far and wide are no doubt familiar with the current Mayor of Toronto, the bumptious and gaffe-prone Mel Lastman. Among numerous stumbles were his appearance on CNN during the SARS crisis to announce he had never heard of the WHO, and his famous comment on Africa: "What the hell do I want to go to a place called Mombassa ... I just see myself in a pot of boiling water with all these natives dancing around me." That, some say, helped kill Toronto's chances for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
With Mr. Lastman's retirement, a new era is about to dawn on Canada's largest city. Toronto is nearing the end of a refreshing and robust mayoral campaign. Unlike the last election, when the most serious competition to an increasingly erratic Mr. Lastman was environmentalist/worm farmer Tooker Gomberg, the current race has given Torontonians a serious choice as to their city's future. Five viable candidates have been fighting it out, in debates and the media, each advancing intriguing policies and varying but identifiable leadership qualities. That does not mean, however, that all are equally up to the task of revitalizing the city as Canada's leading metropolis. What Toronto needs is a sharp, focused mayor to get it working properly again.
Polls suggest that both Tom Jakobek and John Nunziata have mostly been dismissed by the electorate, and rightly so. Mr. Jakobek, despite a history of sensible fiscal conservatism, has been badly discredited by his involvement in the city's computer leasing scandal. As for Mr. Nunziata, hard to take seriously at the best of times, the former MP and noted grandstander further undermined his credibility by turning bribery accusations against another candidate (subsequently dismissed by police) into a cheap publicity stunt.
Also falling by the wayside is Barbara Hall. By virtue of her experience as mayor of pre-amalgamation Toronto, and her candidacy against Mr. Lastman in 1997, Ms. Hall entered the race as the perceived favourite. But she has seemed ill-prepared for the rigours of the campaign. Her vision for the city is murky and tentative, and her ability to think quickly on her feet questionable. Not surprisingly, her support has plummeted as voters realize she lacks the gravitas for the city's top job.
That brings us to David Miller and John Tory, who have deservedly emerged as the two clear front-runners. Both have run slick campaigns, carry minimal political baggage and are better suited than any of the other candidates to represent Toronto within Canada and abroad. But of the two main contenders, only one has outlined a vision that would serve the city well.
Mr. Miller's success has revolved largely around his opposition to a planned bridge from downtown to the city's island airport. Aside from the absurdity of his campaign against the airport's expansion, including wildly exaggerated claims of increased air traffic over the city and assurances that he could overturn already approved plans without incurring major penalties, it has served to obscure far more serious concerns with his candidacy.
Mr. Miller, a New Democrat backed by most of the city's unions, has made no secret of his plan to raise residential and property taxes annually according to the rate of inflation. But his platform also banks on nearly $300-million in additional funding from the federal and provincial governments, a long shot at best, and he refuses to consider any serious cutbacks or outsourcing of municipal services. Given his faith in big government solutions to every problem, there is reason to believe he may wind up supporting the sorts of tax increases that would drive away both businesses and residents from Toronto's core.
Mr. Tory is hardly running on a staunchly conservative platform, and some of his policies -- including opposition to high-rise condominium projects -- are very ill-conceived. But unlike Mr. Miller, he seems to grasp the fiscal challenges of the city's budget shortfall, expected to top $200-million next year. His platform includes a complete review of program spending, reductions to councillors' office budgets, a civil service hiring freeze and the sale of "non-core" assets -- all well-needed reforms that have been overlooked for too long. Meanwhile, he promises a property tax freeze following a single-year increase limited to the inflation rate.
It is not just on economic issues where Mr. Tory trumps his rival. Unlike Mr. Miller, he has shown a strong commitment to public safety by promising to hire an additional 400 police officers. And even on the issues close to left-wingers' hearts, like public transit and housing, his plans are both more practical and more comprehensive.
Mr. Tory's best qualification, though, has nothing to do with his platform. Because the mayor represents just one of 43 votes on Toronto's council, the position requires a strong degree of moral leadership to achieve any degree of effectiveness. Unlike Mr. Miller, who has spent nearly a decade in municipal politics, he would bring a fresh perspective to City Hall. More importantly, his tremendous management experience -- including as president and CEO of Rogers Cable and Rogers Media, and commissioner of the Canadian Football League -- would command strong respect from city politicians. As opposed to Mr. Lastman, who frequently lost control of Toronto's dysfunctional city council, we believe he would succeed in achieving results.
On Monday, Torontonians will make an important decision -- not just for themselves, but for the entire country. Whoever wins, a new political era is set to dawn over Toronto, and perhaps over urban politics across Canada. And for better or worse, Toronto remains Canada's most-powerful economic engine. To help get it running full-speed, voters should choose John Tory.
© Copyright 2003 National Post
Copyright © 2003 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp. All rights reserved.
Optimized for browser versions 4.0 and higher.