Highlights from CP24's Toronto mayoral debate

The seven leading candidates in Toronto’s mayoral race squared off in a debate hosted by CP24 Thursday night, with election day now less than two weeks away.

Check out all the highlights from the two-hour debate below:

9:47

Bradford took aim at Chow in his post-debate interview saying her administration would be run by “NDP activists.”

“She is going to jack your tax bill. We are going to see endless debate deferral delay, and we're not going to get anything done.”

9:39

Matlow acknowledged there was a lot of crosstalk during the debate, but told reporters he hoped Torontonians “got more of a sense of who [the candidates] are” as a result.

“I do think that there were good moments throughout this debate. I think that people got a sense of who I am and who the opposing candidates are."

9:33

Hunter touched on her experience as an MPP after the debate, saying her time at Queen’s Park would give her an edge if elected mayor.

“I can bring that outside perspective into City Hall because it needs it. It needs that fresh perspective. That is what I'm offering”

9:29

Bailao didn’t mince words following the debate, saying she’s the “only” candidate that can beat Chow.

“I did it tonight and I'll do it on the 26th… I am somebody that will be ready to get the job done on day one. I have the experience I have the track record.”

9:22

Furey, who was not included in a number of previous debates, said following Thursday’s event that it was a “great opportunity” to showcase his platform.

“Toronto is a great city full of amazing people. It is a city worth fighting for it. And that's why I'm coming out so passionately with the strong policies I have.”

9:17

Asked by reporters what she thought of her performance at the debate, Chow said she "did well."

"I wanted to connect with people that are listening at home, saying to them that look, you need a city and a mayor that cares, that would invest in people, that would make life more affordable by building more housing, making services more accessible, and a safer city."  

9:12

In a post-debate interview, Saunders said he believes he fits the bill of what Toronto is looking for in an “effective leader.”

“So my plan…is very clear. It's very concise. It is very detailed, but trying to put that in 45 second soundbites is tough for everyone. But trust me, it is very robust when it comes to what direction the city of Toronto needs.”

9 p.m.

The debate has finished. Thanks for following along! You can stay tuned here for more updates from the scrums with the candidates.

You can also compare the candidates’ platforms using our PROMISE TRACKER.

8:57 p.m.

Final question: What is the first thing you will accomplish in the first 100 days if elected?

Saunders says he will make sure the city gets back to where it needs to be by leading

Chow says she would bring in a strong team to build affordable housing, build TTC services and work on getting a new deal with the province and feds.

Furey says he’ll phase out harm reduction sites and replace them with treatment centres, hire more cops and “say no more bike lanes on major roads.”

Bailao says transit safety, meeting with the PM and premier to get a new deal and making sure we start to build housing would be her first three priorities.

Hunter says building more housing, fixing the TTC and making sure the city is livable.

Matlow says he will focus on reversing the cuts to the TTC, initiatives to get affordable housing created and focus on the budget.

Bradford says he’ll usher in an era of accountability with mandate letters to department managers at the city.

8:54 p.m.

Now on to the others.

Chow says city services have been underfunded for 10 years.

Furey says there needs to be a better financial plan for the city.

Bailao says we need to improve core services while managing growth.

Hunter says Toronto needs to have vibrant main streets and arts, which is why she’d cancel CafeTO fees.

Matlow says he has a plan to open libraries on Sundays and have schools serve as community hubs in the evenings.

Open debate now.

Chow says it seems like everyone is waiting for services these days. She asks why is it that those who have been on council have forgotten about people who are waiting.

Furey says bike lanes and taking down the Gardiner would make the city less liveable.

Bailao says we’re also waiting for Chow’s answer on taxes.

Hunter accuses Chow of taking parts of her plan, like opening water fountains.

Bradford says Chow’s “NDP colleagues at council” don’t work with other levels of government.

Saunders says Chow would defund the police and raise taxes 25 per cent.

Matlow says the city needs to raise new revenues and also manage the budget more wisely at the same time.

Chow tells Bradford “it doesn’t matter how many times you say it’s not true,” to his last comment and says she knows how to work with other governments.

8:44 p.m.

Now a question about how the city should deal with the housing targets the province is mandating.

Bradford and Saunders up first.

“We need to make sure that we have the dollars to support the growth investment in transit, community centres, parks, roads and infrastructure, our schools,” Bradford says.

Saunders says, “When I am mayor, I'm going to make sure that every voice is heard not just a special interest folks that seem to be moving our city in the wrong direction. But everyone's going to have a voice at the table.”

8:40 p.m.

Open debate now on taxes and services.

“I am not going to normalize walking around culture in a broad daylight on some of the major streets,” Saunders says. Coming in today. I'm watching a guy do pushups on Queen Street West!”

He says other candidates want to put bike lanes everywhere.

Bradford says city hall needs to live within its means.

Bailao says it’s concerning not to hear people lay out what property taxes would be in light of the financial challenges the city faces and people need to think about who would get a good deal for the city.

Saunders says higher levels of government have given the city billions but don’t think the city is spending it right. He says Matlow would raise taxes.

“Mark Saunders literally has been taking a paycheck from Doug Ford to advise on how to privatize Ontario Place,” Matlow hits back.

Chow says the city needs to “make life more affordable and more accessible and more livable.”

8:38 p.m.

Name a Toronto figure, living or dead, who you admire:

Saunders: "I admire my wife, I got a kidney from her, and she's a great mother, and a great wife."

Matlow: "Of course it's my family but if I'm thinking of a figure outside of my home it would be David Crombie."

Bailao: My parents

Furey: "I always admired the common touch that Rob Ford had to stand up for the little guy, and I think that's lacking from city hall right now. We need to bring back respect for the regular folks."

Bradford: My wife

Hunter: "Masai Ujiri, he brought the NBA title to Toronto."

Chow: "Lloyd McKell who just passed away, he was the head of the Mandela Foundation and brought thousands of thousands of students across the city to understand the impact Nelson Mandela had for the world."

8:30 p.m.

Now on to a question about property taxes and city services.

Matlow and Bradford up first.

Bradford says there is an affordability crisis in the city. He says city hall needs to do more with less.

Neither of them ask each other a question. Matlow asks what Saunders thinks about maintaining city services and Bradford asks about how high Chow would raise taxes.

8:23 p.m.

Now the others get to jump in and debate.

Bradford says he’ll fast-track the Gardiner to get it rebuilt two years sooner.

Furey says bike lanes are “driving people bonkers.”

Bailao says she would have extended construction hours so that things are built faster.

Bradford slams Chow for her plan to take down the elevated portion of the Gardiner east of Jarvis and says it will make gridlock worse.

Hunter takes aim at Matlow and Chow for their plan not to rebuild the eastern elevated portion. She says the city needs to make sure people are safe when they are on bicycles.

“How many kilometres (of bike lanes) are you planning to build this time around?” Bailao asks Chow.

Saunders says technology can be used to reduce fatalities and he will make sure everything he does “is geared toward traffic flow.”

8:22 p.m.

Candidates are asked where they took their last vacations:

Matlow: Portugal

Bailao: Costa Rica

Furey: Prince Edward County

Bradford: "I'm trying to think of my last vacation."

Hunter: Jamaica

Chow: Mont Tremblant

Saunders: Niagara Falls

8:15 p.m.

Now on to gridlock and the Gardiner.

Hunter and Matlow debating.

Matlow says he realizes that when he’s driving in traffic he’s part of traffic and people need more options to get around so that they are part of the solution.

Hunter takes aim at Matlow and says he’s spent his career blocking transit in Scarborough.

Matlow says her plan is unrealistic.

“Have you read all 70 pages?” she asks.

Matlow says Hunter flip-flopped on transit in Scarborough and his plan is about building more stations to serve more people.

She says his plan isn’t believable.

8:09 p.m.

Another lightning round question for the candidates. The question is: What is your favourite movie?

Bailao: “La vita è bella.”

Furey: “Dirty Harry.”

Bradford : “Apollo 13. Tom Hanks is my favourite actor.”

Hunter: “Star Wars; all of them.”

Chow: “Sarah Polley’s Women Talking.”

Saunders: “It’s a combination between reality TV and The Good the Bad and the Ugly.”

Matlow: “I’d honestly be pandering to you if I made one up. I don't have a favourite movie. There are many that I like.”

8:06 p.m.

Matlow says violence doesn’t begin on the TTC. The city needs to tackle the root causes.

Bradford says a plan which responds to homelessness is essential.

Saunders takes aim at Chow and says she would defund the police.

“Mark is just wrong,” Chow responds.

She adds that the city needs to use mental health experts to respond to people in crisis.

Furey says much of the violence is related to drugs and he’d close safe consumption sites.

Now open debate.

Furey says it’s a police resource problem, while Matlow says the key is addressing the roots of violence.

Saunders says the increase in random crime requires law enforcement. He takes aim at council for trying to limit gun use for cops.

Chow says nobody is talking about intimate partner violence.

Bradford says the province will help him to get bail compliance units.

Bailao takes aim at Chow and says we haven’t heard what she would do with the police budget.

Chow says if mental health services answer 911 calls, they should get more funding.

Saunders calls Chow a “fantastic verbal figure skater” and says she hasn’t answered any questions head-on.

Chow says she hasn’t said she’s defunding the police.

Hunter says Chow needs to be transparent with people.

7:58 p.m.

Next question: What is your plan to make Toronto safer?

“It's unacceptable that people are calling 911 and it's taking them 20 minutes to get an answer. That's why I will fund police services but I will also ensure that we have the Toronto Community Services Unit which is an alternate response unit for mental health distress expanded to 100 per cent of the city,” Bailao says.

Hunter says gun violence is a public health issue and is “devastating.”

She says people affected by it don’t ask for more cops.

“They don't ask for more police, what they ask for are more supports for young people, so that we can actually get to the root cause, and we can stop the violence from occurring in the first place.”

Now they debate.

Hunter asks Bailao how she would pay for the promises since her plans rest on getting the province to take over the Gardiner and DVP.

7:53 p.m.

Candidates are being asked if they’ve used artificial intelligence (AI) to craft campaign messaging or produce images.

Furey says he has and that there are “still some things to be worked out.” Earlier this week, a computer-generated image of a woman with three arms appeared in his campaign materials, which he has since acknowledged.

Bradford says he has not used AI in his campaign.

Hunter said someone on her team has used ChatGPT with her knowledge but always fact checks her information.

Chow says she has not used AI and that her campaign is “about people.”

Saunders says he has not, although Furey alleges his campaign has “some components” of artificial intelligence.

Matlow says he has not used AI and shows off a picture of his family included in his platform.

7:50 p.m.

Now debate and a question about cell service in the subway.

Matlow says it’s not one company’s customers who should have access to cell service on the subway.

Hunter says he was on the council that approved the deal.

Bradford says the real issue is that the city needs ridership back.

Chow says the CRTC should force Rogers to give everyone access.

“It’s not enough to be able to use that cell service,” Furey says. “There has to be someone to answer the call and respond to the call, and right now we know that there are so many situations where people are calling 911, and there aren't the resources to respond to the call.”

He says he’d hire more cops to respond to calls sooner.

Saunders says most people will not hit the help button because “the people that are causing the disorder have people that live with mental health or suffering from addiction.”

7:45 p.m.

Now on to other candidates.

Hunter says she has a five year plan for TTC safety and that includes pairing transit officers with social workers.

Matlow says he’d build transit on the waterfront and in Scarborough and reverse cuts.

Bradford says he’ll install platform-edge doors at subway stations.

Saunders says it’s one of the number one things he hears about when knocking on doors.

“TTC is not a homeless shelter. TTC is not a mental health agency. I'm going to hire 200 special constables that will be trained because they will be turned over to the Toronto Police Service.,” Saunders says.

Chow says she’d return staff to stations to have more eyes there and would expand mental health supports.

7:42 p.m.

Now, on to a question about safety on the subway and how candidates will improve it.

Furey says people across the city are concerned and he’ll hire 500 new police officers, including an enhanced presence on transit.

Bailao says she’ll reverse cuts on the system to make sure people come back and deploy wifi across the system.

Furey and Bailao now get to discuss.

Furey says Bailao was on council while the number of cops shrunk.

Bailao says she supports a well-funded police service with enough resources to improve 911. She says the issue isn’t an “either/or.”

Bailao points out council just approved 200 new officers. She adds there need to be specialized people to deal with mental health instead of cops.

She says other programs which target the roots of crime are also important.

7:37 p.m.

On to a rapid fire question about Toronto. The question is: What is the most Toronto thing about Toronto?

Bradford: “At city council, it's endless debate, deferral, delay and the inability to make a decision and move the city forward. I'm going to change that.”

Hunter: “We are a city in a park right on a lake. We just have a beautiful city and we need to care for it and make sure that we have a bright future for everyone.”

Chow: “The most diverse people in the globe. All living in harmony right here in Toronto.”

Saunders: “The number one thing is multiculturalism. How we embrace the values and the cultures within our city and there are over 200 of them.”

Matlow: “The extraordinary diversity of our people, whether it be geographical, ethnic, cultural, religious. There are people from around the world who call this home.”

Bailao: “The most important thing in Toronto is the opportunity that it gives to people. We need to bring that back; we need to bring the promise of Toronto back.”

Furey: “How we love our sports teams. I love the Jays.”

7:35 p.m.

Others get to jump in now.

Bailao says she would double the amount of modular supportive housing.

Hunter says the homessness crisis is unacceptable in our city.

“As mayor I will provide the supportive housing that people need with the wraparound support so that people actually get the assistance to stay housed and to be safe,” Hunter says.

Matlow says we need to build supportive housing, along with deeply affordable housing. “I have a plan,” he says.

Bradford says building more shelters is not the answer. “We need to build housing,” he says.

Saunders says city hall has neglected the problem.

The question moves into open debate.

Bradford says Chow hasn’t built any supportive housing. Chow counters that her stepson Mike Layton did while he was on council. “You’re running on your record," he counters.

Hunter says people need more mental health supports and that crisis is playing out alongside the housing crisis and people need help on both fronts.

Furey says nobody else is talking about “the violence and the chaos,” and cites needles in parks.

Bradford slams Furey for opposing supportive housing.

Furey says he wants to work with the province and the feds to build more housing.

Hunter and Bailao says Furey isn’t right at all, and Bradford says Furey is “fearmongering.”

7:25 p.m.

Now, a more general question about how candidates will solve the housing crisis.

Chow says we can’t just keep moving people around.

Furey says the homeless problem is “really creating a sense of lawlessness and disorder.”

They now get to debate.

Chow asks where his plan is. Furey responds that it’s an area of federal responsibility, and he will phase out safe consumption sites and replace them with treatment centres.

Chow counters that experts say a housing-first policy is needed.

She says people who are addicted need housing and mental health supports.

7:18 p.m.

Open debate on now.

Matlow tells Furey there’s no one magical solution to the housing crisis.

Hunter says she was the first candidate to propose unlocking public lands and Matlow says “that’s not true.”

Bailao jumps in and says we “need all orders of government at the table.”

Matlow reiterates that anyone who says there is one answer like supply, is lying.

Bradford says application times are too long.

Bradford takes issue with Chow having said that property taxes only affect homeowners. She acknowledges renters do pay property taxes within their rent.

Saunders says Chow would raise property taxes 25 per cent and Bailao jumps in that Chow only sees government and taxes as the solution, but you need builders as well.

Chow says the previous approach has failed for the past 10 years.

Hunter piles on about taxes: “Why can't you just say what it's going to cost?”

7:12 p.m.

Furey now gets to jump in and says he’ll phase out municipal land transfer tax for first-time home builders. He says he’ll also work with builders on solving the supply problem.

Bailao says as mayor she would make sure to intensify housing on avenues by getting rid of red tape, amid other measures.

Hunter says many young people are planning to leave the city because they don’t see themselves affording it. She says she’ll build 22,000 units of housing in six years.

Matlow says Torontonians of all ages are struggling o pay the rent. He says his plan is supported by “tip economists” and is costed.

Bradford now says we need more options for more people in more neighbourhoods. He says we need to unlock government lands.

7:10 p.m.

Candidates taking a question on housing affordability.

Saunders says he’d make sure approvals go through within a year.

Chow says many people have no money left at the end of the month because the city has not built affordable housing for too long.

The two now get to discuss the topic one-on-one

Saunders says people who are struggling need certainty about property taxes and she hasn’t provided that.

Chow says she’s talking about renters and says 52 per cent of people in Toronto don’t own a home. She asks Saunders what his plan for tenants is.

Saunders counters the number one issue is supply and says he will “create the environment so we can build.”

6:15 p.m.

Good evening and welcome to our live blog for CP24’s Toronto mayoral debate. You can follow along here for live updates. The debate is set to start at 7 p.m., but there is already an atmosphere of excitement outside 299 Queen St. W. as the candidates arrive.