The circus surrounding Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is damaging the credibility of all politicians, some local municipal councillors and mayors say.
Ford is refusing to step down even as his own chief of police has said that police have the infamous video that appears to show Ford smoking crack cocaine.
In May, the Toronto Star and the Gawker website reported that reporters saw video of Ford appearing to smoke crack cocaine and making a homophobic slur about federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau. But beyond making a statement about a week later that he does not smoke crack cocaine and could not comment on a video he had never seen, Ford has refused to address the allegations.
“What’s going on here is incredibly destructive to elected officials across the country. So is the Senate, for that matter,” said Victoria Coun. Chris Coleman.
“I have friends who are on council in Toronto and I know it’s hell for them. It makes doing the right thing for your communities very difficult because you get caught up in the story circus.”
“It’s incredibly sad because it sends a chill for all elected officials. I feel sorry for the people of Toronto,” said Coleman.
Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins said controversy surrounding Ford and the Senate entitlements “are painting politicians and the political world in more and more of negative light.”
The vast majority of people who enter politics do it for all the right reasons, she said.
“That gets lost, and it’s frustrating because we all end up getting painted with the same brush,” Desjardins said.
“The worst part about it is people start becoming disengaged because they don’t see that they can make a change with these things happening and then they don’t vote,” she said.
Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen, a lawyer and former Crown counsel, said Ford should step down.
“Certainly the allegations have created a very chaotic situation for Toronto and a situation in which the proper work of a municipality does not get done. In my view, any mayor faced with the kind of situation that Mayor Ford is facing should really step down until a full airing of the issues can be done,” Jensen said.
But Jensen didn’t think Ford’s situation would reflect on other politicians.
“I think they realize this is just one person who obviously has a lot of issues — whether or not they’re substance-related or judgment-related — it comes down to this person and that person’s personality,” Jensen said.
Michael Prince, University of Victoria Lansdowne professor of Social Policy, agreed that Ford should step aside.
“I think he’s disgraced the office,” Prince said.
