Council to hear motion demanding Mayor Ford step aside
Posted Nov 13, 2013 6:02 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO – A motion is expected at city council, Wednesday, demanding Mayor Rob Ford take a leave of absence to deal with his personal problems.
The mayor has made the motion his key item, so it will be the first item on the council meeting agenda.
Watch a live stream of the council meeting here starting at 9:30 a.m.
Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong will be tabling the motion that also calls on Ford to apologize for misleading council about his crack cocaine controversy.
He told 680News early Wednesday morning that he doesn’t appreciate the mayor’s approach to the crucial council meeting.
“I think we have to have a zero-tolerance for guns, gangs and drugs, and he’s up to his neck in it. This is no small matter; it’s a big matter that he has to deal with. I don’t believe it’s right for him to trivialize it,” Minnan-Wong said.
“We need to do the right thing. Council needs to take the leadership position on the recent events involving the mayor, and I’m focusing on talking to my council colleagues and making sure that the motion gets passed.”
It appears the majority of councillors will support the motion, but it’s still purely symbolic — the mayor can and likely will ignore the will of the rest of council.
If the non-binding motion doesn’t work, Coun. Minnan-Wong said he plans to ask council to petition the province to oust Ford.
When asked Tuesday by reporters how he can convince council he shouldn’t step aside, Ford said only that he’s saved the city more money than any other mayor.
When earlier asked of the pending council battle, Ford said merely “let’s get it on.”
Anti-Ford rally at noon
Meanwhile, an anti-Ford demonstration protest is planned for noon Wednesday outside Nathan Phillips Square calling on the mayor to “step down and seek help.”
In an open letter, organizers of the “Save Toronto” rally said they feel Ford has “compromised the authority of his position.”
More
- Mayor Ford’s tenure, Bixi & smoke-free Toronto up for debate at city council
- Coun. Minnan-Wong to present motion Wednesday at City Hall
- Judge views crack video, reserves decision whether lawyers will see it
Ford admitted last week he smoked crack cocaine a year ago while likely in a “drunken stupor” but has refused to resign or temporarily step aside to get help.
The mayor said he’s making progress dealing with his personal issues while still remaining in office, but when prompted Tuesday didn’t outline just what changes he’s made.
The 90-second cellphone alleged crack video at the heart of the ongoing scandal was brought by police to a Toronto courtroom Tuesday, where it was watched by a judge in his chambers.
Ontario Superior Court Judge Ian Nordheimer is considering an application for access to the video by a man seen posing with the mayor in a widely published photograph.
The police have actually seized two videos, as referred to by Police Chief Bill Blair in a recent news conference, but the Crown has said one is a subset of the other.
