‘ No role model’
Olivia Chow looks to unseat Rob Ford as she kicks off her mayoral campaign.
TORONTO – Veteran left- wing politician Olivia Chow kicked off her campaign to unseat the city’s infamous mayor Thursday by alluding to his numerous scandals but refusing to discuss their potential impact on the race. Speaking to a packed church hall, the former city councillor and federal MP – already considered a front- runner – criticized Rob Ford for his “disappointing” leadership. “He is no role model for my granddaughters,” Chow said. “We deserve better.” Chow made no mention of Ford’s numerous, highly publicized scandals: cracksmoking, alcoholic binges, profane rants, ties to suspected drug traffickers, and an ongoing police investigation into his activities. Asked about the potential impact on the mayoralty race of Ford’s conduct – the fodder of headlines and TV comedy across Canada and internationally – Chow dodged. “It’s not just a scandal, it’s really his failed policies,” she said. Ford has said he’s not concerned at facing off against Chow, bragging instead about his solid fiscal management and dedicated service to his constituents. “This city’s booming, this city’s on fire, I’ve got a proven track record,” Ford said Thursday at city hall. “All she ( Chow) is is a tax- and- spend socialist. Everyone knows it. Call it for what it is.” Given his notoriety, what would normally be a local political tussle focused on gridlock, public transit or social housing now seems destined to play out before a much broader audience. “The world will be watching,” said Myer Siemiatycki, a political science professor at Ryerson University. “The world knows about Mayor Ford and some across the world might wonder, ‘ Can someone with this kind of record actually get themselves re- elected?”’ Ford’s re- election will depend on whether he hangs on to his die- hard supporters, colloquially known as the “Ford Nation,” and can pick up votes from those who believe in his self- professed tax- busting record, observers said. Ford was unfazed, saying earlier this week: “My ‘ Ford Nation’ people aren’t budging and we’re doing great.” Rob Drummond, political science professor emeritus at York University, pegged Ford’s bedrock support at somewhere between 20 and 30 per cent. “I’m astounded at how long he’s been able to sustain the support that he has,” Drummond said. To win, Chow will have to hope the conservative vote splits among Ford and his rival right- wing candidates.