Top Toronto mayoral candidates debate cuts to transit, city services in Scarborough

The six leading Toronto mayoral candidates outlined their visions for the future of transit, city services and taxes in Scarborough Wednesday evening, in the east-end region of the city shaping up to be a key battleground in the upcoming election.

The candidates said, if elected, they would focus on revitalizing declining city services and infrastructure such as transit and neighbourhood centres in the diverse, populous region, which many called a microcosm for issues across Toronto.

The debate -- the third of the day for the candidates -- featured former NDP parliamentarian Olivia Chow, city councillor Josh Matlow, ex-police chief Mark Saunders, former deputy mayor Ana Bailão, councillor Brad Bradford and former Liberal MPP for Scarborough-Guildwood Mitzie Hunter, who resigned her seat at Queen's Park to run in the byelection. It was organized by a number of local community groups and was hosted at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus.

The campaign has seen candidates open a campaign office in Scarborough, seek endorsements from local MPPs, and make Scarborough-specific platform announcements in an attempt to make inroads in the area, long considered an election battleground.

In the 2022 provincial election, the area delivered seats to all three major parties, with the Progressive Conservatives taking four of the six Scarborough ridings.

Chow, considered the leading candidate, continued to face attacks from other candidates during the debate, particularly Bradford and Saunders who said her plan would significantly increase taxes for Toronto property owners and residents.

Chow and fellow progressive Matlow responded by saying candidates need to be honest with Torontonians about taxes required to address crumbling city services.

The candidates also faced questions about how they would go about working with Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Saunders and Bailão faced criticism for alleged ties to Ford, while progressives Matlow, Chow and Hunter said years of a "get-along" approach to working with the Premier have led to underinvestment from the province.

Saunders, who was alleged to be Ford's choice pick after the Premier said Toronto would be "toast" if a "lefty" mayor was elected, said the new mayor will need to work with all levels of government and form strong partnerships if the city is going to survive.

"We have to work with other levels of government, but we don’t work for other levels of government," Hunter responded.

In the midst of the debate, mayoral candidate Reginald Tull stormed the stage and interrupted over not being invited to the debate, before being escorted out by security.

The six candidates are facing off again tomorrow for a debate hosted by the Toronto Region Board of Trade, with just over a month of the campaign left before the June 26 byelection.

The first major debate of the Toronto mayoral campaign hosted last week by the Daily Bread Food Bank saw Chow attempt to defend her front-runner status against a field of candidates pressing her for platform details as they looked to make up ground in the race.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2023.