Ford defends moves on council-cutting plan
Protesters heckled Ontario Premier Doug Ford in the legislature Wednesday as he defended his decision to push through a bill slashing Toronto city council nearly in half just days after a judge found the legislation unconstitutional. Shouts erupted from the public gallery as Ford argued he was protecting democracy by invoking a constitutional provision to override the court decision, which found his plan to cut the size of the city’s council in the middle of an election violated candidates’ and voters’ freedom of expression rights. “This is about preserving the will of the people, this is about preserving democracy,” Ford said during question period, citing his Progressive Conservatives’ victory in the spring election. Asked whether he believed in the Charter of Rights, the premier said a democratically elected government should not be derailed by a “politically appointed” judge. The premier maintains cutting Toronto city council to 25 seats from 47 is necessary to streamline decision-making and save taxpayer money. The commotion from protesters opposed to Ford’s plan drew repeated reprimands from the Speaker, who eventually recessed the legislature and cleared the public gallery. The constitutional provision Ford plans to invoke, known as the notwithstanding clause, has never been used in the province before and critics have condemned the move, saying the clause was not designed to deal with this kind of issue. Toronto Mayor John Tory has said invoking the clause is a “gross overreach” of the province’s powers, adding city staff will advise councillors at a special meeting on Thursday how the municipality can proceed with the upcoming Oct. 22 election. Green party leader Mike Schreiner said Wednesday the premier appears to be believe that winning a majority means he is above the law. “It is wrong for the premier to attack our fundamental charter rights for political gain,” he said in a statement. “He is bringing a dangerous view of democracy to Queen’s Park, predicated on his belief that he can rule by decree.”