All Entries in the "Pundits" Category
Nickle: Favourite Candidate For Mayor Not Even Running
Toronto Community News’ David Nickle finds it unsurprising that rumoured candidate John Tory seems like such an attractive alternative:
“There is a vacuum in the debate, and right now, Ford is filling it with anger.
So it’s no wonder the people who left Tory’s side in January are feeling out in the cold here [...]
Stall: Advice For John Tory
680 News personality John Stall offers some advice for potential mayoral candidate John Tory – don’t run:
“John Tory is a decent man. He can be nasty at times and has been on occasion along the way, but it is not in his nature to be negative or on the defensive. He cares a lot about Toronto [...]
Posted Toronto Forum: Should John Tory Run For Mayor?
Pundits Matt Gurney and Tasha Kheiriddin offer two different views on whether rumoured candidate John Tory should place his name on the mayoral ballot:
“Gurney: Your energy won’t go into serving the public, but into battling two other levels of government, entrenched unions, hostile bureaucrats and an amateur-hour council, not to mention apathetic voters. [...]
Agar: Why Smitherman And Ford Deserve Some Time Alone
Serving as a guest columnist for the Toronto Sun, CRFB host Jerry Agar defends his offer to moderate a private debate between mayoral candidates George Smitherman and Rob Ford:
“Multi-person debates are often short on substance. Candidates get little time to expand on ideas and solutions; to kick issues back and forth and really [...]
Levy: City Hall Power Shift?
Toronto Sun columnist Sue-Ann Levy notes that up to 10 council seats are up for grabs, which could signal a large change in the balance of power:
“In my 12 years covering the antics at City Hall, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a campaign with so many wards up for grabs — as many [...]
Goar: Hope Gives Way To Malaise In Mayoral Race
Toronto Star columnist Carol Goar laments what she views as an uninspiring mayoral contest thus far:
“Tory’s decision not to run left many Torontonians without a first choice. Adam Giambrone’s withdrawal, when details of his messy personal life came to light, deprived left-leaning voters of a dynamic candidate to back. And Smitherman’s failure to live up [...]
Sun Ed: Furious George Jumps The Gun
The Editorial Board of the Toronto Sun thinks mayoral candidate George Smitherman has been acting a tad presumptuous these days:
“We know there’s a hotly contested mayor’s race, with the winner to be decided by voters Oct. 25. Smitherman, on the other hand, acts as if it’s a done deal.
Last month he was off to China [...]
NP Political Panel: Rob Ford’s Football Follies
This week’s National Post Municipal Election Panel features a discussion about mayoral candidate Rob Ford’s history as a coach and his relationship with the media:
“Selley I wasn’t accusing the Star of anything except boring me. But I think the effect of that coverage is fascinating. There is no reason to believe Ford [...]
Gee: George Smitherman: Firm Stride, Uncertain Compass
The Globe’s Marcus Gee seems to have a solid respect for the drive of mayoral candidate George Smitherman, but wonders what direction he is heading:
“Despite all this detail, it’s often hard to know what he is about. At times on Monday he was sounding Fordish, calling for city hall to get its hand [...]
Levy: Free Ride For Councillors
Sun columnist Sue-Ann Levy gives her characteristically blunt assessment of a number of long-time incumbents that look to be easily re-elected in October:
“Raymond Cho, Ward 42: This 73-year-old is truly a legend in his own mind. The dotty Toronto Zoo chairman told me he’s “been a very good councillor” in his 20 year [...]
Gee: The Real Cost Of Rob Ford’s Financial Hard Line
Globe columnist Marcus Gee takes mayoral candidate Rob Ford to task for his ‘Waste Watch’ series which has recently focused on funding for harm reduction centres:
“It plays well to voters who think city hall mollycoddles those on society’s fringes while ignoring the plight of the hard-working, law-abiding taxpayer. But it is a deliberate [...]
Kuitenbrouwer: Rocco Rossi’s Bad Bike Booboo
The National Post’s Peter Kuitenbrouwer admonishes mayoral candidate Rocco Rossi for his position on bike lanes on the city’s arterials:
“Mr. Rossi has done an impressive job casting himself as the thinking-man’s right-of-centre candidate. But with this policy he has taken a turn into some very weird policy, and stands to lose many more [...]
Gee: Lacklustre Mayoral Race Needs Forward-Thinking Vision
Globe columnist Marcus Gee sits down with his boss, Globe publisher William Thorsell, to get his thoughts on where things have gone wrong and the three areas the mayoral contest should focus on:
“I would like to hear from people running for office what role they think a city administration can play, in partnership with [...]
NP Election Panel: The Sex, Drugs, Rock Campaign
This week’s municipal election panel in the National Post looks at the demise of the Mammoliti campaign and the interest in “the other Rocco”:
“GOLDSBIE When the campaign period began in January, I really didn’t expect the mayoral race to tread through all three of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Not before Labour Day, anyway. [...]
Granatstein: Election Gossip From City Hall
Sun Editor Rob Granatstein lets us in on the latest gossip making the rounds at Toronto City Hall and on the campaign trail:
“The big question on everyone’s mind is what will John Tory do? No matter how many times Tory says he has “no plans” to run (plans can change) and dances around the [...]
James: Can Pantalone Turn Ford’s Momentum Into Victory?
Star columnist Royson James suggests that mayoral candidate Joe Pantalone could be well positioned if opponent Rob Ford looks to have real momentum in September:
“What the candidate and his backers are hoping is for two things to break Pantalone’s way. First, the emergence of a strong, divisive, anti-progressive threat to take the mayoralty [...]
Levy: Council’s Dim Bulbs Thwart Hydro Talks
Toronto Sun City Hall columnist chastises Toronto City Council – including mayoral candidate Joe Pantalone – for refusing to discuss how to make a potential sale of Toronto Hydro easier:
“Pants claimed the city should not be selling off Toronto Hydro because it pays a dividend each year. According to the city documents, last [...]
