Poverty activists from the same group that stormed a Toronto budget meeting earlier this month returned to council Wednesday, this time to file a complaint about Coun. Doug Ford.
On Feb. 10, members of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty staged a vocal protest against service cuts, disrupting a city budget meeting. Two activists were arrested, and a local radio station recorded Ford telling one protester to "get a job" -- a comment he later denied making.
On Wednesday, OCAP filed an official complaint with the city clerk about the comment, calling it classist and disrespectful to Toronto residents living in poverty.
It alleges Ford contravened council's code of conduct, which states councillors must treat people "without abuse, bullying or intimidation, and to ensure that their work environment is free from discrimination and harassment."
"Councillor Ford clearly misled the media when he told them that he had never told the demonstrator to ‘get a job,'" states the complaint, obtained by CTVToronto.ca. "More importantly, however, comments made by Councillor Ford that morning were prejudicial and discriminatory toward poor people."
The complaint, filed by Gaetan Heroux, requests an investigation by the city's integrity commissioner.
While reprimands for code of conduct violations can strip councillors of up to 90 days pay in extreme circumstances, OCAP's Sarah Watt said she'd be happy to see a change of attitude at council.
"We'd just like to not hear that kind of talk from our city councilors again," Watt told CTVToronto.ca on Wednesday. "Classism should be considered on the level of racism and sexism."
The group of eight activists also handed out letters describing their concerns to city councillors and the mayor.
"This time we were going through their process and playing by their rules," said Watt. "We didn't make any noise. I feel that everything went as well as it could."
Ford wasn't available for comment when CTVToronto.ca called his office on Wednesday.
When confronted with the radio recording of his comment earlier this month, he told a reporter he stood by the sentiment.
"They're anarchists. And I don't have time for people like that. I would be proud to say, ‘Go get a job' to those guys."
This month's encounter wasn't the first time a Ford brother has had a run-in with OCAP. Mayor Rob Ford came under fire for similar comments in 2002 and 2005, while he was a city councillor.
