That’s All, Folks

Photos by Sam Yohannes

Words by Alex Chronopoulos

Toronto politics has seemed to turn into the Hunger Games—a true fight to death, survival of the fittest, the whole nine yards with Rob Ford giving Katniss herself a run for her money. Despite the heckling, constant need to wipe sweat from his forehead and countless cups of water, he’s managed to maintain a whopping 47 per cent approval rating.

“I’m not a talker, I’m a doer,” said Ford at Ryerson University’s George Vari Engineering Centre last Thursday for the second installment of Toronto’s mayoral debates.

Along with David Soknacki, Karen Stintz and John Tory, Ford made his case—in two minutes or less—and answered questions asked by moderator, law professor Ralph Lean and his students.

Soknacki, whose candidacy confused Lean with a mere two per cent, outlined his successful business and entrepreneurial endeavors of the past and how he thinks this will help him better the city. He “understands this numbers,” unlike—he hints—Ford, questioning the alleged $1 billion he has saved.

Stintz took a freestyle approach not using the podium but rather engaged with the audience by moving around and pausing ever so slightly ensuring the cameras captured her best angles. That is, once she finished waving. Once her hands settled, she made it clear that the coming election on October 27^th “is not a referendum on Ford,” and throwing another punch with the, “I have a good track record too…one that I’m proud of.” As Chairwoman of the TTC she claims to know the city inside-out and is confident in her policies. Paving the way for Tory’s opening with, “John has a plan and we’ll hear about it one day.” Well played, Stintz.

Tory was the last to speak, and once his eyelids calmed down and he stopped blinking, he ardently berated youth unemployment and explained his plan to “make information about where jobs are for students,” available to them, ensuring the current 20 per cent youth unemployment decreases. After all, a city is not truly booming when its youth are unemployed, right Ford?

Ford gave his usual spiel: promoting the $1 billion he has saved, the gravy train he has single-handedly derailed, the jobs he has created, failing to answer questions on the—probably illegal—company he keeps, sprinkled with the appropriate amount of apathetic folks.

They discussed the Billy Bishop Airport expansion—Ford giving the only clear answer, Yes to expansion—selling the 10 per cent of Toronto Hydro that we own, youth unemployment and of course the TTC expansion.

Despite the heckling and constant “Boos” and “Answer the question!” Ford kept his cool and gave the clearest answers—except for the “Why are you hanging around with drug dealers?”—whilst Soknacki, Stintz and Tory paraded around the issues, not addressing them fully. They alluded that things “Cannot go on the way they are,” but what exactly are they going to do about it? Like the audiences of Panem, we too will have to wait for the next instalment.

Ford’s personality and extracurriculars are not those of a typical politician. They are crude, unpolished and borderline inappropriate. But if he’s willingly volunteering as tribute, representing Toronto and fighting for what’s in the city’s best interests, who are we to criticize him? It’s a dangerous game that we are not all fit to participate in, so while Stintz waves, Soknacki sleeps and Tory blinks, Ford is—probably drunk—but building, saving and promoting Toronto.