Toronto’s top mayoral candidates traded jabs from across the city and warned voters against what the city could look like with their opponent at the helm.
As the election comes down to the wire, the latest polls show Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford in a neck-in-neck race for the top job at City Hall with both warning voters about what the city could look like if their opponent wins on Monday.
“This city is stuck. We’re stuck in traffic, we’re stuck waiting for the bus that doesn’t show up, we’re stuck feeling less safe,” said Bradford during a campaign stop in Etobicoke.
“We’re stuck on waitlists, we’re stuck on paying more and getting less. We’re stuck with NDP Mayor Olivia Chow’s 20 per cent tax increase, and if she’s reelected, she’ll hike it by another 20 per cent.”
“This election is a simple choice – do we keep moving forward together, to make life more affordable,” countered Chow during a campaign stop in Scarborough. “Or do we go backwards, backwards to TTC cuts and higher fares, backwards to closed libraries, backwards to giving away control of our water, backwards to giveaways for the few and cuts for everyone else.
Chow repeated criticism of Bradford’s plan to restructure Toronto Water into a publicly owned utility modelled after Toronto Hydro.
Bradford says his plan would cut bills by 25 per cent. Chow argues that it would open the door to privatization. Bradford’s campaign say a municipal bylaw would prohibit any private investment.
The utility debate is one of several issues that the pair have butted heads over in the tightening mayoral race.
Chow also met with tenants in Summerhill, touring damaged units and pledging more help for renters in the city as she continued to tout her support for renters throughout this campaign.
“We have taken a big, big step forward by demonstrating through our actions that we can take the landlord to court using the city power that we have,” explained Chow. “It is a message to landlords, if you allow your building to deteriorate, that tenants can no longer live there in comfort and security, we are going after you.”
Torontonians will go to the polls to select a new mayor and city council on Oct. 26. Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
