Wynne to Ford: Step aside

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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Wynne refuses to meet with Ford to discuss ice-storm funds

A meeting between Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford appears increasingly unlikely after the Premier refused to sit down with the troubled mayor and Mr. Ford backed away from his desire for a face-to-face meeting to discuss ice-storm funding.

Mr. Ford said Wednesday that if the Premier won’t meet with him, “at least a phone call” with an answer on the city’s funding request will suffice. Earlier this week, the mayor sought a meeting over the $114-million the city is seeking from the provincial and federal governments after the December ice storm and July floods.

“I just need to know: Are we going to get any money, and what amount will that be?” Mr. Ford said Tuesday. “That’s very simple. That won’t take more than two minutes, or at least a phone call.”

Mr. Ford added that he’s tried to reach out directly to family friend and federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty for help, but was told by his office that he’d have to work through the province.

“I’ll take an answer from anyone, even one of you,” he told reporters at Toronto City Hall. “Can you find out how much money we’re gonna get for Friday’s meeting?”

City leaders from across the Greater Toronto Area will be meeting Friday with Municipal Affairs Minister Linda Jeffrey to discuss ice-storm funding. Mr. Ford is expected to attend that meeting.

At the height of the storm, Ms. Wynne worked directly with Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, who had many of the mayor’s powers transferred to him late last year. This week, she said she would continue working with Mr. Kelly only.

“I try to take as many meetings as I can, but I really don’t have time to meet with everyone, so I need to be strategic about the meetings that I take,” Ms. Wynne said. “My responsibility is to meet with the people who can make decisions and who have the responsibility for leadership. In this case, that’s Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly.”<MW>

Last year, city council stripped Mr. Ford of his powers after he admitted to smoking crack cocaine and driving after drinking. Councillors gave his authority and much of his staff to Mr. Kelly.

“This isn’t about a political grudge,” Ms. Wynne said. “This is about me saying when the city council made a decision to vest authority in Deputy Mayor Kelly, that I was going to meet with Deputy Mayor Kelly.”

Toronto Councillor Mike Layton said that Ms. Wynne made the right decision. “The powers were removed from the mayor for a reason, and I think everyone in Toronto – if not around the world – knows why,” said Mr. Layton.

Councillor Joe Mihevc called Ms. Wynne “very wise” not to meet with the mayor. “The deputy mayor enjoys the support of city council – uptown, downtown, left, right, centre,” he said.

But the mayor had at least some defenders. Mr. Ford remains the head of council, according to a briefing note from the city solicitor. And, although council stripped away many of his powers, it remains Mr. Ford’s role to “represent the city locally, nationally and internationally.”

“The law is clear about the mayor’s role,” said Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong. “If you follow from that, the deputy mayor does not represent the city, and does not represent council when he goes and meets with the Premier.”

New Democratic Leader Andrea Horwath also suggested that Ms. Wynne should meet with Mr. Ford out of “courtesy.”

“I understand very clearly that city council made a decision in regards to specific leadership issues,” she said. “But when a municipal mayor is requesting a meeting with the Premier, I think it’s common courtesy.”

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/t...eting-request/article16343031/?service=mobile
 

Walter

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 28, 2007
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Wynne needs to all a provincial election to get a proper mandate.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

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May 28, 2007
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Councillor Joe Mihevc called Ms. Wynne “very wise” not to meet with the mayor. “The deputy mayor enjoys the support of city council – uptown, downtown, left, right, centre,” he said.

The Deputy Mayor enjoys no such support from anybody other than the political elete in city council. Nobody voted int he deputy mayor.

But the mayor had at least some defenders. Mr. Ford remains the head of council, according to a briefing note from the city solicitor. And, although council stripped away many of his powers, it remains Mr. Ford’s role to “represent the city locally, nationally and internationally.”

“The law is clear about the mayor’s role,” said Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong. “If you follow from that, the deputy mayor does not represent the city, and does not represent council when he goes and meets with the Premier.”

New Democratic Leader Andrea Horwath also suggested that Ms. Wynne should meet with Mr. Ford out of “courtesy.”

“I understand very clearly that city council made a decision in regards to specific leadership issues,” she said. “But when a municipal mayor is requesting a meeting with the Premier, I think it’s common courtesy.”

Common sense. Of course all Wyn seems to do is politiking. Makes people forget the billions her government has squandered on their own political agendas if she can continue to bring up Mayor Ford.
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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Forgive me for sounding completely biased and accusatory here, but it would probably help if we knew Ford's new level of authority since it was downgraded.

Him, Ford and the Yo Bros are a cartel. Los cerdos

 

BornRuff

Time Out
Nov 17, 2013
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Common sense. Of course all Wyn seems to do is politiking. Makes people forget the billions her government has squandered on their own political agendas if she can continue to bring up Mayor Ford.

Ford is the guy playing politics here. He is playing dumb to try to make Wynne Look bad, when all she is doing is respecting the decision of our elected representatives.
 

BornRuff

Time Out
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...and the drama continues... :roll:

Robbie gets bored if **** isn't swirling around him 24/7.

There is really zero need for this. There is already a meeting scheduled tomorrow between the municipalities and the province. A meeting today isn't going to do anything but satisfy Rob's need for attention.
 

damngrumpy

Executive Branch Member
Mar 16, 2005
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This is a case of where a higher level of government will not deal with t miscreant
Ford does need to resign as Mayor his reputation is a drag on Ontario period.
The Premier of Ontario does not need an election to have a mandate if she is a
member of the House and became leader she is the Premier its how our system
works. I can understand the frustration of the the City though they need to know
but the problem is with the Mayor. If he were to meet his responsibility and call
it a day the phone would ring in the Mayors office. People get all hopped up on
this one issue. There are cases in other Provinces where the same thing happens.
Nothing new organizations that behave badly governments distance themselves.
In this case its a city itself. What other city has a Mayor who has the gaul to admit
they have driven drunk, used drugs and abused booze and not resign? That is in
Canada we know about Marion Berry in Washington DC but that's another story.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

Satelitte Radio Addict
May 28, 2007
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This is a case of where a higher level of government will not deal with t miscreant
Ford does need to resign as Mayor his reputation is a drag on Ontario period.
The Premier of Ontario does not need an election to have a mandate if she is a
member of the House and became leader she is the Premier its how our system
works. I can understand the frustration of the the City though they need to know
but the problem is with the Mayor. If he were to meet his responsibility and call
it a day the phone would ring in the Mayors office. People get all hopped up on
this one issue. There are cases in other Provinces where the same thing happens.
Nothing new organizations that behave badly governments distance themselves.
In this case its a city itself. What other city has a Mayor who has the gaul to admit
they have driven drunk, used drugs and abused booze and not resign? That is in
Canada we know about Marion Berry in Washington DC but that's another story.

I love how when an elected mayor has powers shifted to an unelected official, he should resign. But you go on to justify how an preimier appointed by her party and not elected to the role is somehow more legit. Hypocrite much?
 

BornRuff

Time Out
Nov 17, 2013
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I love how when an elected mayor has powers shifted to an unelected official, he should resign. But you go on to justify how an preimier appointed by her party and not elected to the role is somehow more legit. Hypocrite much?

This is just a condemnation of the level of civics educations people are receiving in our schools.

Norm Kelly is an elected official. All members of council were elected by the citizens of Toronto.

All premiers of Ontario held that position by right of being chosen as leader of their party by the members of their party, not by being elected. Nobody in Ontario cast a vote for Dalton McGunity except for people in the Ottawa south riding.
 

Walter

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 28, 2007
34,843
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This is just a condemnation of the level of civics educations people are receiving in our schools.

Norm Kelly is an elected official. All members of council were elected by the citizens of Toronto.

All premiers of Ontario held that position by right of being chosen as leader of their party by the members of their party, not by being elected. Nobody in Ontario cast a vote for Dalton McGunity except for people in the Ottawa south riding.
The Liberal party under Wynne has no mandate from the citizens of ON.