The major mayoral candidates started off the final week of Toronto's civic election campaign by trotting out endorsements that ranged from old allies to a Montreal politician.
Justin Trudeau, a federal Liberal MP for Montreal's Papineau riding and son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, appeared with former deputy premier George Smitherman at a campaign event in Little Italy on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Etobicoke's Coun. Doug Holyday backed Coun. Rob Ford, just a week before the election.
Holyday, a former mayor of Etobicoke, said Ford was the only candidate willing to make significant changes in the city, particularly when it comes to cutting expenses. He saw little difference between Smitherman, Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone and retiring mayor David Miller.
“You’ve got to bring some efficiency to this system, just like you do when you’re looking after your problems at home,” Holyday said in a news conference. “And I think the only one who can do this is Rob Ford.”
The announcement came as a new poll Nanos Research poll conducted for CTV, the Globe and Mail shows Ford holding a slight lead over Smitherman among decided voters:
- Ford - 43.9 per cent
- Smitherman - 40.5 per cent
- Pantalone - 15 per cent
The poll was conducted between Oct. 14 and 16, after executive Rocco Rossi dropped out of the race. The poll was a random telephone survey of 1,000 very likely voters and can be considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Part of Ford’s platform involves outsourcing garbage collection and eliminating thousands of city jobs through attrition in order to reduce spending.
When Holyday was mayor of Etobicoke, the city privatized garbage collection. As a result, Etobicoke residents still had their trash picked up while others in Toronto suffered through a 39-day civic strike that left some parks stacked with garbage.
Holyday has been an opponent of Mayor David Miller on council.
Earlier this month, he told the Toronto Star that a poll surge by Smitherman could push him off the fence and have him endorse Ford.
“I feel he’s like (Mayor) David Miller in 2003, portraying himself as being a centrist when he’s not. Smitherman is portraying himself as a fiscal conservative and I just don’t believe it,” Holyday said.
Pantalone
Several politicians and prominent Torontonians appeared with Pantalone on Monday to give the third-place candidate a boost.
"We need to build, not tear down what we've accomplished," Coun. Janet Davis said. She encouraged people to cast ballots while motivated by hope and not fear.
Another councillor who endorsed Pantalone is Gordon Perks. Rosario Marchese, the NDP MPP for Trinity-Spadina, also appeared with Pantalone.
Actor Sarah Polley also issued a statement of support for Pantalone, saying he was dedicated to the environment, the arts and valued cultural diversity. Mayor David Miller had previously endorsed Pantalone.
Smitherman has tried to portray himself as the progressive rallying point for those who want to stop Ford from becoming mayor. Pantalone in turn has tried to argue that there is no real difference between the policies of Smitherman and Ford.
He has used the phrase "mini-Mike Harris" in describing both, referring to the hardline former Progressive Conservative premier of Ontario.
The Nanos poll found there is significant overlap between Smitherman and Pantalone supporters, with Pantalone's estimated to be less firm than that of either Smitherman or Ford.
One of Smitherman's events with Trudeau was held at Li'ly, a restaurant located on College Street West and located not far from Pantalone's Little Italy home.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Naomi Parness
