Ford bill to cut Toronto council advances

TORONTO — A rare overnight session at the Ontario legislature that saw protesters and politicians gather for debate on a bill slashing the size of Toronto’s council moved the government closer Monday to passing the legislation, which has thrown the municipal election in Canada’s largest city into chaos.

The Progressive Conservatives, who’ve been rushing to push through the reintroduced bill after a judge ruled an earlier version unconstitutional last week, said they expected to bring the matter to a final vote on Thursday — a month before Toronto goes to the polls on Oct. 22.

Premier Doug Ford said the overnight session was an indicator of the government’s commitment to passing the law, which shrinks Toronto’s electoral map to 25 wards from 47.

“We were here last night, like tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people around this province — the police officers who have to work at night, the nurses who have to work at night and factory workers who have to work at night,” he said. “We were fighting for the taxpayers of this great city.”

The midnight session drew crowds of protesters to the legislature.

Some heckled Progressive Conservative politicians with cries of “shame, shame,” inside the house until the Speaker cleared the public galleries. Others protested outside, chanting “Let us in!” and “Our city, not Ford’s!” as police officers stood in front of the doors.

By midday, the majority had left, but protest signs remained scattered on the grounds outside the legislature.