Dear Neighbour,
It has been a horrible week in Toronto politics.
Dear John — step down
As I have said on social media, it's no secret that John Tory and I had many political disagreements. But I fully agree (with Friday night’s John Tory) that he should resign. His is not a simple, one-time lapse of judgement. He maintained an inappropriate multi-year relationship with a junior staff person. He travelled with her on several taxpayer-funded business trips.
He was her boss and abused his power. He breached the Code of Conduct of his elected office.
John Tory created instability by choosing to run again for Mayor when he knew what the fallout of this new story becoming public would be.
He amplified that instability with his 8.30 PM press conference on a Friday night where he did not give Torontonians a timeline as to when he would step down.
As the Toronto Star has reported, a notable conservative pollster, Nick Kouvalis, was in Toronto’s war room on Friday night when he was deciding what next steps to take. Since that announcement, Torontonians have received several robo-calls asking if they think John Tory should step down.
Mayor Tory can give Torontonians clarity by stepping down now. Even though Doug Ford gave him “super mayor” minority rule powers, Tory does not have the moral authority to pass a budget with a gaping $1.5 billion hole in it.
Toronto needs clarity and leadership on everything from housing, to opening warming centres, and improving transit. The core is still struggling to recover from the financial impacts of the pandemic. Tory will not be the mayor who delivers, and he should step aside so that Council can provide leadership in his absence.
I will be following the leadership of organizations like Progress Toronto and the Toronto and York Region Labour Council as our movements determine which progressive candidate can best improve our city.
Our Tribunal Panel is tonight!
The backlog facing Ontario’s tribunal system has doubled since Doug Ford took office in 2018. It is now in a deep crisis and sometimes takes years to get a hearing. Justice delayed is justice denied for Ontarians.
I am very keen to hear what our guests will say about how Ontario's tribunal system got into the crisis it is in, and what can realistically be done to resolve it. MPP Lise Vaugeios, Gary Yee, Kathy Laird, and Gilles Frenette are well-known and respected experts who will help you understand why this matters and how to take action. I look forward to hosting the discussion tonight and hope you can join us.
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Doug Ford’s Latest Scandal – Stag and Doe-nors
Doug Ford was facing a scandal before John Tory took over the limelight this Friday — and I want to make sure that you didn’t miss it. You can see Marit Stiles weighing in on Ford fundraising around his daughter’s Stag and Doe. I look forward to learning more when Marit submits a further complaint to the Integrity Commissioner, in response to her recent (and already accepted) complaint about Ford’s Greenbelt giveaways.
February 22 Rally Against Ford’s Plans to Privatize Public Health Care
At the top of hospital row and just steps away from Queen’s Park — Ontarians are going to deliver a loud message to Doug Ford that our health care is not for him to sell. Toronto NDP MPPs are organizing a rally to show that Ontarians will not give up on our public health care system on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 — the day when Ford is expected to introduce his legislation at Queen’s Park. We will be giving out free posters that you can then use as window signs.
What: Rally to Save Public Health Care
When: Wednesday February 22, 2023 at 5 PM
Where: Corner of University and College St.
RSVP: Click here to join the TCNDP contingent!
Thank you for your resilience and ongoing support. It is my honour to serve you. If you are joining us tonight, I look forward to seeing you at the online Tribunal webinar.
Yours truly,
Kristyn Wong-Tam
MPP, Toronto Centre