George Smitherman's decision to jump into the Toronto mayor's race early is putting pressure on his main prospective rival, John Tory, to declare his own intentions.
In a whirlwind day of interviews, Mr. Smitherman placed himself squarely in the same centre-right territory Mr. Tory hopes to occupy, saying he rejects the need for new taxes as a first option to deal with the city's fiscal woes. He then sparred with Mr. Tory in an interview on the former Ontario Conservative leader's drive-time radio show.
The largely cordial exchange turned testy when Mr. Tory pressed the former Ontario health minister on runaway spending and sole-source contracts at eHealth, the provincial agency creating digital health records.
"Regardless of what I might say, George, it's gonna dog ya," said Mr. Tory. When he read questions from listeners, Mr. Smitherman bristled: "You asked me their questions with your own spin, sir."
One of Mr. Tory's allies predicted he will join the race in January, once candidates can legally file their nomination papers. "My plans and deliberations haven't changed. It's his [Mr. Smitherman's] announcement today, and not mine," Mr. Tory said yesterday.
If Mr. Tory runs, a race between the two political heavyweights could suck the oxygen out of other candidates' campaigns. But it also opens the door for a centre-left candidate to sneak up the middle.
At a press conference at Queen's Park, where he has served as a member of the legislature for the past decade and a top cabinet minister since 2003, the 45-year-old Mr. Smitherman portrayed himself as a "son of the city" eager to boost civic pride.
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