Ontario’s NDP leadership calls Toronto mayor’s request for new powers ‘lazy’ – Toronto

Ontario’s prominent NDP MPP, which now stands unchallenged to become the party’s new leader, has demanded increased power from Ontario Premier Doug Ford, prompting Toronto Mayor John Tory. was called “lazy”.

Marit Stiles spoke with Global News’ Colin DeMello in an interview hosted by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation and said she would strip the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa of powerful mayoral powers if she became prime minister. rice field.

Stiles is currently the only candidate to declare his candidacy for Ontario’s NDP leadership, with a deadline of December 5th.

“It’s not what we voted for in this city, it’s not what people in this entire state voted for,” Stiles said of the powerful mayoral powers passed to Tory by the state. I don’t know of any other democratic institution that rules like that.”

At a press conference Wednesday, the NDP asked Torrey to withdraw his request for more powers.

The latest set of powers announced could give the Tories the power to make decisions with the support of just one-third of Congress if they are in line with state priorities.

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Proposed regulations proposed by the state would channel those benefits into “1.5 million new homes by 2031” and “transport, roads, utilities, and services.”

The new powers are outlined in Bill 39, but the bill has not yet been enacted.

“Pull it back. Stiles called the proposed bill ‘outrageous’ and ‘anti-democratic’ and put it back,” he said.

Last week, a coalition of five former mayors sent a letter to the Tories urging them to reject the additional powers. Art Eggleton, David Crombie, Barbara Hall, David Miller, and John Sewell said they were “horrified” by the potential new power.

“To be honest, when I heard that Toronto Mayor John Tory asked for that power in the middle of the election, I was like, ‘How lazy,'” Stiles said. “Really? Is that how you want to get this thing done?

Tories defended the proposed changes.

“Most of the state’s ‘strong mayor’ tools went into effect this week, and Mayor Torrey has made it clear that his leadership style and overall approach to the city council, which has been consistently demonstrated over eight years, will not change. “The Mayor will continue to work with the City Council to get things done, as he has done for two terms.”

A spokesperson said the Tories would only use the proposed authority for critical housing and transportation projects across the city.

“The use of that proposed measure is probably rare, and is always preceded by a city official’s report, who, without exception, always tries to use the council process first to build consensus.”

Torrey won his third term as mayor of Toronto with 62% of the vote.

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