Toronto hoping Justin Trudeau can help combat Doug Ford
City Council is reeling after a successful court challenge was immediately struck down, and the mayor is trying to respond.
Yesterday, Premier Doug Ford announced he would use the notwithstanding clause to overrule a court decision that prevented him from cutting Toronto's council to 25 seats, from 47.
Mayor John Tory has now announced he will call a special council meeting to discuss the city's options. The meeting is slated for Thursday at 9:30 a.m.
Ford lambasted the mayor throughout his speech yesterday, claiming that he and other councillors were trying to keep their jobs at the sacrifice of efficiency.
Why is it so important to have these changes in place, whatever you may think of them, for this election to the point that you would override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for the first time in the history of the province of Ontario?
— John Tory (@TorontosMayor) September 10, 2018
Tory spoke out on Twitter yesterday evening, claiming Ford was focusing on this small issue when there are larger fish to fry.
The mayor also shared a photo of himself talking to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in town for a summit on women's rights.
Thanks to Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau for meeting with me tonight to talk about my concerns around the province's use of the notwithstanding clause. I appreciate his support for democratic principles, democratic institutions, and the importance of respecting cities. pic.twitter.com/1y5FDRsaBj
— John Tory (@TorontosMayor) September 10, 2018
The mayor seems to be exploring options to go over the province's head, turning to the federal government for an answer.
What will come of the meeting has yet to be seen, but it looks like things are starting to get heated.
John Tory
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