Candidates take aim at front-runner Chow on taxes in wide-ranging debate
Olivia Chow once again took most of the firepower as the six leading candidates in Toronto’s race to become mayor squared off in a wide-ranging debate hosted by United Way Greater Toronto, The Toronto Star and Toronto Metropolitan University.
Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Olivia Chow, Mitzie Hunter, Josh Matlow and Mark Saunders appeared Monday evening in a packed hall at the Ted Rogers School of Management near Bay and Dundas streets.
While candidates answered questions on affordability, housing, strong mayor powers, support for front-line services for the most vulnerable and a number of other issues, Olivia Chow was questioned multiple times about how much she would raise taxes if she becomes mayor.
In a portion of the debate dedicated to allowing candidates to ask one another questions, all but one candidate asked Chow about taxes.
“How much property taxes should Torontonians be ready to pay under your watch?” Bailão started off.
Chow answered that she supports a moderate tax increase, but said that it doesn’t make sense for her to set a number before having more details about the financial situation of the city next year.
“What we need to do is not to pick a number because we don't know how much the federal and provincial government is going to provide for us, we don't know what the inflation is going to be next year in March,” Chow said. “So to just pick a number I don't think that is a fair way to do it.”
Saunders, Hunter and Bradford also used their question to hammer Chow on what her maximum tax increase would be.
Under fire from Saunders, Chow said she’s talked about other sources of funding as well aside from a possible blanket property tax increase.
“Those people that can afford to buy a new home that is — 5, 10, $20 million, with a private squash court — they can afford to pay a little bit more,” Chow said, referring to her plan to increase the land transfer tax for homes over $3 million.
Saunders shot back that “people are afraid of you being mayor” because of possible tax increases.
“I don't know how many people here have squash courts. Just your average homeowner in the City of Toronto has concerns about you,” Saunders told Chow.
Chow said that she supports modest, not huge, tax increases and said “modest means that those who can afford it pay.”
Hunter chimed in that Chow’s answer “just really is not good enough” before asking her a third time.
Chow has been the front-runner in the race, according to most polls. The other candidates have been fighting a heated battle not just to close the yawning gap with Chow, who has consistently had an at least 10-point lead, but to stake a place as her main challenger.
Moderator Edward Keenan doled out a gently comical reminder that candidates could ask any other candidate on the stage a question.
“Not only that, you can choose any question you want. We don't all have to ask the exact same question,” he joked to laughs.
Matlow obliged and put a question to Saunders about which city services he plans to cut if elected.
Saunders responded that his job as mayor would be to get “maximum value” for tax dollars and he would start by “making sure that we are accountable for the dollars first.”
Chow used her question to ask Bradford why housing approval times have gotten longer while he has been on council, as part of the executive committee and as chair of the housing committee.
“Since I became the chair of Planning and Housing Committee five months ago, we have done more housing policy in the city of Toronto in the past five months than done in the past five years,” he said.
Candidates also got a chance to answer some rapid-fire questions on strong mayor powers and whether the city has primarily a spending or revenue problem in their eyes.
Most candidates said the city’s budget problems can best be described as a revenue problem, while Saunders and Bradford said it is mainly a spending problem.
Saunders and Bradford also said that they would use the strong mayor powers to pass a bylaw with less than a majority of city council support. All the others said they would not.
Voters are set to go to the [polls in Toronto on June 26, with advance voting set to start on June 8.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
BREAKING Police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris where man threatens to blow himself up: French media
French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.