Advocate Jan 2014

THE ADVOCATE VOL. 72 PART 1 JANUARY 2014
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With each shocking revelation, Ford threw apologies around as if they
were grenades, but often they would explode before he had so much as
launched them. At one point he stooped to the point of using sexually
derogatory language to defend himself against an allegation of sexual
harassment. Not even Ford’s wife was spared as he invoked her healthy
appetite for cunnilingus as the basis of his defence that he could not have
possibly used derogatory language with a female co-worker. Crass does not
even come close to describing Ford’s behaviour.
Each gaffe was more jaw-dropping and unbelievable than the last. And
yet Ford adamantly and stubbornly refused to step down or take a leave of
absence. The Ford Motor Company, the Toronto Argonauts, even Santa and
Mrs. Claus all sought to distance themselves from the mayor as he careered
off his weekly radio show (which was cancelled) and into the merciless
crosshairs of late-night talk show hosts. Perhaps predictably, he and his
abhorrent brother, Councillor Doug Ford, were offered their own television
program during the fracas. After a single episode, however, the show was
promptly cancelled on the basis that it should not take six hours to shoot
and eight hours to edit a 47-minute program. One can only hope that the
outtakes are released at some point.
Toronto city councillors, meanwhile, extended one olive branch after
another. Even Ford’s former closest allies begged him to take a leave of
absence. But Ford responded like the bully he is: physically intimidating
other councillors, mocking others’ shortcomings by making rude hand
gestures, muttering to himself during council meetings, blowing kisses
to the media and even lunging at councillors and members of the public—
accidentally knocking a female councillor down in one particular linebacker’s
rush. Having brought the City of Toronto to its knees in the
international-reputation sweepstakes, Ford vowed to stay on and to do
what he said was “right for the taxpayers of this great city”. He was seemingly
oblivious to the serious reputational harm he was actually causing
Toronto.
City councillors had little choice other than to contain the mayor who
was so obviously out of control (both personally and professionally) and
unwilling to either help himself or let others help him. Devoid of a statutory
power to remove him, and with the provincial government (at least initially)
unwilling to step in, they passed a number of resolutions to curb his
power. They voted as follows:
• 37–5 to remove the mayor’s right to fill vacancies on the civic
appointments committee.
• 37–5 to cut the mayor’s budget.