A fourth-year Ryerson student, a holistic healer with an M.B.A., a woman sporting a tiara and fairy wings, and a young man in a red cape named Sonic Dave DuMoulin who filmed the proceedings from the stage with his own camcorder.
It was an eclectic group of candidates that shared the stage with the frontrunners last Wednesday, when 27 of Toronto’s 38 mayoral candidates took the stage at the St. Lawrence Centre, for the second in a series of public debates.
Despite their numbers, though, the debate focused on those with the biggest public profile: incumbent David Miller, councillor Jane Pitfield, and former Liberal Party of Canada president Stephen LeDrew.
With the format consisting of audience questions directed at specific candidates, Miller faced a barrage of criticism over his first term in office. Toronto’s waterfront was the most hotly debated topic, and Miller defended his perceived inaction on the issue by reminding the audience that “there was no business plan to pay for any of the options to take down the Gardiner. Without a business plan, it would have been irresponsible to bring it to council.”
Pitfield was criticized vocally for her support of Toronto’s proposed Portlands Energy Center. She backed down before the barrage, claiming that plans have been scaled down due to the controversy surrounding the issue.
She also claimed that expanding public transit is a far bigger priority than taking down the Gardiner Expressway. With respect to the waterfront, she added that she plans to prevent the construction of more high rises, and that “what we need is a large, green park.”
The debate reached its most heated point on the issue of Toronto’s budget concerns, with Pitfield criticizing Miller’s fiscal responsibility, saying, “We are now $300 million behind, and we went $65 million behind with Miller.”
“You were the vice-chair of the budget committee, you were the architect of the budgets, and you voted for them,” Miller shot back.
The mayor received the most applause of the night for his comments on gun violence. He stressed the partnerships he has built with the city’s lower-income areas, citing the 1,000 given jobs created this year for people in poor neighbourhoods.
Miller closed his comments on gun violence with a zero-tolerance approach.
“Handguns and semi-automatic weapons have no place in this city,” he said. “And it’s time the federal government simply banned them.”
The issue of party politics also surfaced, with LeDrew being criticized for his obvious connection to the Liberal party. Pitfield used this opportunity to take a swipe at Miller’s connection to the NDP.
“I believe party politics do not belong at City Hall. Stephen Harper doesn’t want to meet with him,” Pitfield said.
Despite their relative anonymity, the other candidates were determined not be ignored, and they each were given time to present their views of the future of the city, providing both idealistic visions of Toronto as well as comic relief.
When a question was put forth to every candidate asking how they would spend an extra million dollars to help the city, Miller responded with “youth” and Pitfield with “trees.” While the communist candidate, Joseph Young, said he would put the money toward unions, other answers included “anti-disestablishmentarianism” and “I have no idea.”
