While most Torontonians believe that city council did the right thing when it stripped Mayor Rob Ford of most of his powers, four in 10 say they would still consider voting for the embattled politician in the next election, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll.
Asked whether they would consider voting for Ford in 2014:
- 39 per cent of Torontonians agreed
- 61 per cent disagreed
When the responses are broken down by areas of the city outside the downtown core:
- 51 per cent of people in Scarborough agreed
- 50 per cent in York/East York agreed
- 40 per cent in North York agreed
- 36 per cent in Etobicoke agreed
- 25 per cent of downtown residents agreed
The poll, which surveyed 485 Torontonians online between Dec. 9 and Dec. 13, also found that almost two-thirds, or 62 per cent, of residents hope that city council and Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly will “continue with Mayor Ford’s agenda.”
Here’s how support for Ford’s agenda breaks down:
- 75 per cent support in Scarborough
- 74 per cent support in North York
- 63 per cent support in Etobicoke
- 58 per cent support in York/East York
The majority of voters who live downtown -- 58 per cent -- are against Ford’s agenda.
As for the council’s decision to strip Ford of his powers and transfer them to the deputy mayor, 64 per cent of Torontonians overall agree with that decision.
Support for the council’s decision is highest in the downtown region, with 69 per cent of surveyed people saying they agree with it.
Elsewhere, support for the council’s decision is as follows:
- 65 per cent in Etobicoke
- 63 per cent in North York
- 62 per cent in Scarborough
- 58 per cent in York/East York
Two-thirds, or 68 per cent of those surveyed, said they think it’s appropriate for the deputy mayor to represent the City of Toronto in talks with other political leaders, such as Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.
The Ipsos Reid poll, conducted for CTV News, CP24, and NewsTalk 1010 has an error margin of +/- 5.1 percentage points.
