Matlow challenges Tory's and Ford’s interference in the mayoral by-election

Toronto, June 22, 2023 – Mayoral candidate Josh Matlow issued the following statement regarding John Tory’s endorsement of Ana Bailão and Premier Doug Ford’s endorsement of Mark Saunders:

“John Tory and Doug Ford don’t get to tell you who to vote for. Their interference in the mayoral by-election, despite promising they wouldn’t get involved, is yet another dishonest attempt by those in power, and those who finance them, to hold on to the power they have.

Our city is broken, and the two men who got us into this mess will not get us out of it.

When he’s not inviting cash gifts at family events, or billing taxpayers half a billion dollars for a private company’s parking garage at Ontario Place, Doug Ford’s favourite pastime is interfering in Toronto’s elections and keeping our city down. All this while the Premier is ignoring vital priorities, like supporting public transit, properly funding schools and keeping emergency rooms open.

Premier Ford has repeatedly shown that he doesn’t have Toronto’s best interests at heart, from cutting the size of Council in half during an election to announcing, along with Ana Bailao, the Science Centre will be ripped out of North York. He says he’s going to privatize our public waterfront at Ontario Place and sell off our Greenbelt piece by piece. 

John Tory also misled Toronto voters when he announced SmartTrack without any actual funding, and promised he would build 22 stations in seven years. Hundreds of millions of Torontonians’ tax dollars were sent to Queen’s Park, with little to show for it. Tory and Bailão created a Housing Now program that has produced zero affordable homes years later. He wasted taxpayers’ money and time with a one-stop Scarborough subway plan, replacing a seven-stop line that would’ve already been built, and sold us a vision for Rail Deck Park that never made it past plans. What Torontonians are feeling desperately right now is that Tory’s insistence on an artificially low tax rate has deteriorated our city’s services. People are seeing park facilities in disrepair and park bathrooms locked until June, roads with huge potholes, a homelessness emergency, and the TTC being less safe, reliable and affordable because of those choices. 

Ford and Tory tried to take more power away from the people by introducing so-called ‘strong mayor powers’ that override democracy and all we got is a weaker Toronto. 

Tory’s endorsement of his former deputy mayor, and his mayoral campaign chair in last year’s election, is just another backroom deal – an attempt to benefit the political establishment, corporations and special interests over the people of Toronto. It’s a status quo that Toronto can no longer afford.

Over the past decade, our city has been in decline because of leaders who have failed to support the communities and vital services that make Toronto so special. They’ve prioritized their own interests, leaving our city broke as it becomes a playground for the rich. 

These kinds of tactics breed cynicism, leading to dismal voter turnout, with 61 per cent of Torontonians choosing not to cast a ballot in the fall election. 

That can end now, and it ends with you making your voice heard by voting on June 26.

I’m determined to make Toronto the safe, affordable, livable city we know it can be. And I’m the only one with a bold, realistic and funded plan to actually get us there. I’d rather be upfront with Torontonians about what it will take to manage our budget and fix the services that have been declining for years. 

I need your support on Election Day to take a stand for Toronto. Your vote can save this city.”

To learn more about Josh Matlow’s mayoral campaign to make Toronto a city that works, the safe, affordable, livable city that we all know it can be, please visit VoteMatlow.ca.