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Why I Voted For Olivia Chow

Yes, dear readers, I have cast my ballot. My yellow envelope with a mail in ballot is safely in the hands of Toronto’s elections office.

Full disclosure: I have advised, pro bono, on some transit policy proposals for both Josh Matlow and Olivia Chow, but have not determined which were eventually adopted, if any.

My vote went to Olivia Chow for several reasons.

First, thanks to the absence of ranked ballots, I cannot pick candidates secure in knowing that if they don’t attract enough votes, my choice will go to someone else to my political liking. This time out, the job is to ensure Toronto stands up to Doug Ford’s gang at Queen’s Park and rejects the Tory cabal on City Council. I only get one vote, and it goes to Olivia.

If there were ranked ballots, I would have picked Josh Matlow first because he has been in the trenches for years, has a detailed platform and shows he can stand up to the Tory crowd. Sometimes over the top, yes, and he has a reputation for “not playing well with others”. I will take that any day over the back room dealing of Tory and any in his camp who yearn for the job.

Ana Bailão presents herself as a centrist, but her campaign started off with the prince of darkness himself, Nick Kouvalis, a long-time associate of the Fords, and a pack of development industry supporters. When on Council, she supported Tory’s fiscal program, and I have no faith in a miraculous conversion.

Mitzie Hunter has a full platform, but not, as I have written in a platform review, one that is as “fully costed” as she would have us believe. Some revenue sources she touts are already spoken for, including for transit, and to present the money as if it’s just looking for a home is, as they say in parliamentary circles, misleading.

She also flip-flopped in the past on support for Transit City in order to ride the subway bandwagon to a seat at Queen’s Park. Her embrace of the “Scarborough deserves” trope might have some foundation, given how voters there have been played for support by pols for over a decade, but as Mayor of all the city, there is a need to see other districts that deserve attention too.

Brad Bradford I know from his days on the TTC Board, and we would speak regularly about coming items on the agenda. But he rarely delivered advocacy and settled into accepting the management line, something that desperately needs to be changed at that organization. It is not the Board’s function to direct day-to-day decisions, but the Board should set policy and demand accountability.

As a candidate, Bradford has embraced the safety issue and speaks as someone right of Tory, not as someone I could imagine being even moderately right of centre. He also embraces the strong mayor powers to get things done. That path is both undemocratic and an opportunity for very bad, unchecked decisions.

Mark Saunders is Doug Ford’s candidate, and on that basis alone, cannot be trusted. Moreover, he is known both for substantially dismantling the machinery of police traffic enforcement, for his blind eye on a major serial killer case that wrecked his credibility with the gay community, and for a paid advisory role to Ford on the Ontario Place privatization. He is unworthy of consideration.

Returning to Olivia Chow, I believe that criticism of her detailed platform as rather thin is valid, but I am willing to believe there is room for improvement. A major problem with the past decade and more at Council is that policy debates begin with the tax increase (or lack of it), rather than with determining what we actually need and what has top priority. Departments and agencies were given budget targets, and they generally do not present a “Plan B” for what might be done with more money.

That brings at best “business as usual” plans, or trimming in the name of “efficiency” often without revealing the actual effect of budget cuts. The sham of the 2023 TTC budget process was disgusting. Details of service changes that were already designed in January were withheld from the TTC Board and Council until long after any alternate policy might have been adopted. We might not be able to afford all of the service we want, but we should know what is really on the chopping block, and what the cost of alternatives might be.

Simply having an open, frank discussion will put council and citizens in a much better position both to know what is possible, and to defend calls for better funding and new revenue streams. That is a path I hope Chow will follow, and with Matlow as a trusted ally on Council.

30 thoughts on “Why I Voted For Olivia Chow”

  1. not as someone I could imaging being — s/b imagine being

    Steve: Thanks for the catch. There were a few other typos lurking in the text that I have fixed too.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Thoughtful notes as always. I saw little real discussion about the actual issue that affects everything in Toronto; lack of revenue. In 3.5 years we will be back here talking about the same tripe and the city will have fallen apart more. To some extent I have lost faith in the ability of Council and Mayors to use logic and facts when making decisions. Looking at his platform Peruzza after holding public office since 1985!!! has no shame. Matlow, playing the role of David Socknaki came the closest for me but I voted strategically instead. I became somewhat depressed when I dropped off my ballot that there was not one of 102 candidates that I actually wanted to vote for.

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  3. If we had ranked balloting, I would have voted Josh Matlow as #1, Olivia Chow as #2, and Mitzie Hunter as #3. However, since we are forced to use first-past-the-post, and to avoid Saunders, Furey, or Bradford squeaking in, going with Olivia Chow to win.

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  5. This isn’t a critique specific to you, Steve, but you rightly point out that Bailao has been a supporter of Tory’s fiscal programming, which I think we both agree has left Toronto’s service levels broken. Which leaves me baffled then at the implicit endorsement of Josh Matlow. While I agree that he has been a vociferous Tory critic – and we’ve benefited from this voice – unfortunately that has not led to actually voting against Tory’s austerity. In 12 of 13 budget cycles, he’s voted with Tory (and Ford before him) in advance of budget deliberations to cap taxes at or below inflation.

    I understand that Josh is now calling for an end to austerity, but how is this any difference than Bailao? More pointedly, why are you letting Matlow off the hook for the same austerity votes that Bailao has cast?

    As I say, this isn’t specifically directed at you because a lot of the Toronto progressive/left seems to be embracing Matlow despite his desultory record on revenue, and I just don’t understand it.

    Steve: “You are known by the company you keep”, and I will take those around Matlow before those around Bailao. I think that Matlow can shift his position, while Bailao will sell herself as moderate but then sell us out once in office.

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  6. I simply want to see Doug Ford have an aneurysm.

    Steve: No, then he might not be aware of what is happening. I hope that in 2026 we see Ontario voters utterly reject his government, reducing them to third party status, but that’s really a lot to wish for. He would blame it all on the cyclists and the tree huggers, of course.

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  7. I don’t live in Toronto. I wouldn’t want to.

    However, the far left voting practices of Torontonians is hurting the rest of the province, and for that matter, the country. We’ll never get better as long as the people keep voting these radicals in.

    Chow will be another cancer, unfortunately. Some people never learn.

    Steve: Some people never learn. They voted for Ford twice. They get exactly what they deserve, but sadly so do the rest of us.

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  8. This election is beyond ridiculous. A complete waste of money. On account of the very brief period of time since the election they should have simply appointed the next highest vote candidate. Alternatively, let the Deputy Mayor continue to replace the mayor until the next scheduled election.

    Steve: There are candidates who did not run in the last election because running against Tory was a lost cause. Voters deserve a fresh shot at their decision.

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  9. I voted for Mark Saunders, at least I know he has a plan for keeping the TTC safe unlike Chow.

    Steve: He would have a lot of security types hanging around drinking coffee and never being where they are needed, and eventually he would decide that we couldn’t afford to “waste” them in the subway, rather like TPS did with their brief exercise in security theatre and Saunders did with the Traffic Division. Saunders’ “plan” is to frighten voters and hope they vote for him. It isn’t working.

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  10. “We’ll never get better as long as the people keep voting these radicals in.”

    Comments like that I always find amusing. Anything other than a personal/political selfish, even repressive, position is considered “radical”. Maybe even “socialist”. The 1950’s called: they want their white picket fences back.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. It’s a “vision thing” – and I didn’t see that from any candidate. But I think that’s down to the electorate’s “what-can-you-do-for-me” (retail politics) attitude, abetted by the media’s (and Saunders’s) fear-mongering. Here’s hoping Olivia – once elected, and with the help of people like Josh and Ausma – can start to address the bigger picture and make up proud of our city once more.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Fury? No comment? Not even an acknowledgement?

    Shame.

    Steve: Well, it’s “Furey” not “Fury”. You want a comment? I think he is a dangerous right-winger who would happily pit groups against each other for political advantage, and who would use the strong mayor powers to ram through his agenda. I look forward to his losing.

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  14. Well said. I do not want to see another New York city mayoral election situation again where NYPD police chief wins and all he does is write fat checks for NYPD department while the city suffers. It’s hilarious that people don’t learn. How many times does Ford need to lie until people get the message? I really wish we had ranked voting cause I was going to vote Matlow as well but my fear of Saunders and Brad are greater and hence I also voted for Chow 🙂

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  15. Sideline perspective from out West:

    I’d pick Chow if I were a Toronto citizen voting in this election.

    Although for me, it’s because I still have her, in my mind, tied to the hip of the late Jack Layton. And Layton was a premium example of “nobody’s perfect, but some can communicate and hold stance better than others”. If Chow is indeed like that, Toronto may well be in good hands if she wins.

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  16. Is there such thing as John Tory’s cabal in the city power circles? My expectation, based on his personality type alone, is that John Tory must be good at attracting allies while he holds the top position, but his circle should melt down quickly once he is gone. No strong ideology behind, unlike the “Ford nation” or the hard-left groups.

    Anyway, Olivia Chow should be a good Mayor. Experienced, level-headed, won’t pursue anything crazy. Time will tell if she creates a truly remarkable legacy, or mostly focuses on everyday tasks.

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  18. I, too, will be voting for Chow. I wish there was a more exciting candidate that I would really want to vote for, instead of pretty much the least objectionable (and now I’m blanking on the perfect French phrase for that).

    I wrote off Bradford and Bailao for stuff they said. Some candidates, like Furey, I would never dream of voting for. I do wish Stephen Holyday had run, so I could not vote for him as well.

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  20. “If there were ranked ballots, I would have picked Josh Matlow first…”

    I too deeply regret the lack of a ranked ballot. One of the things that makes me angry is that when the Conservative Party holds a Party leadership vote they use a ranked ballot. And then proceed to deny the same thing to the people in a general election. First Past the Post is good enough for us peasants, but they treat themselves to ranked ballots? Yes, that hypocrisy makes me angry.

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  21. There are still people who will not be voting in this coming by-election. Some say there is no difference between the candidates. Others say their candidate will not get in anyways. Others say nothing will change, so why bother.

    At least vote to show your point of view.

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  22. Kevin Love: I too deeply regret the lack of a ranked ballot. One of the things that makes me angry is that when the Conservative Party holds a Party leadership vote they use a ranked ballot. And then proceed to deny the same thing to the people in a general election. First Past the Post is good enough for us peasants, but they treat themselves to ranked ballots? Yes, that hypocrisy makes me angry.

    Are you sure that you want (at least) the municipal and provincial levels of government to be governed in exactly the same way as the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario is governed? And are sure that you want a ranked ballot system even though that we have (at least) 102 candidates (next time can be 502)? I am supporting Olivia Chow because it’s high time that we have a woman as mayor.

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  23. “And are sure that you want a ranked ballot system even though that we have (at least) 102 candidates…”

    That is precisely why we need a ranked ballot system. Under First Past the Post, so many candidates allow an extremist such as Rob Ford to win when the sensible vote can be split among many candidates. Allowing the extremist to win with a small minority of the vote.

    Australia has used this voting system for many years. Here is a video produced by The Guardian showing how it works.

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  24. I believe public transit and quality of life have declined in Toronto. I blame four letter words like (Rob) Ford, Tory and (Doug) Ford. No matter who gets elected, Toronto’s decline will continue. If Chow is the people’s choice, the ford letter curse continues.

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  25. As Kevin Love has pointed out it was Doug who denied Toronto the right to choose ranked balloting for our voting process. I too would have preferred to have voted for Josh Matlow as a first choice followed by Olivia. Given FPTP the and the risk of Saunders, Furey and others, I voted for Olivia as well.

    It is also interesting that the PC Convention voting was not FPTP or Ranked Ballot. Rather they used a complicated “Electoral College” type setup. By any rational analysis, Christine Elliot won the leadership. However after a long – and contested – counting process Doug eked out a victory based on “points”.

    Doug is “staying out of the election” – except of course to endorse Mark Saunders and predict disaster if Olivia wins.

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  26. Steve, thank you for voting for Olivia Chow. Toronto needs a new leadership, the old establishment was not working out – budget cuts to TTC, for example. People want a change. The homeless population has exploded; they have nowhere to go but tenting in parks and riding the subway. Many are mentally ill and need care but are not getting help. So, that increases crime! More of the same policies will not solve the social issues. Compare Amsterdam, Lisbon to see how they handle these things.

    Housing – #1 election issue. All that any candidate can deliver on is a Band-Aid solution. The root problem is deep. Obviously the Bank of Canada’s exorbitant interest rate hikes makes housing less affordable, and many are losing their homes. There is also a structural problem in Canada which was pointed out on a recent “The Agenda With Steve Paikin” program on TVO. Essentially, it is the emphasis on home ownership that distorts the economy and leads to undesirable effects such as urban sprawl. And, urban sprawl, as we all know, means dependence on cars and not public transit. Not to mention destruction of wildlife habitat. Hwy 413, anyone? Rezoning the Greenbelt? In contrast, I saw in Holland how abruptly city meets country, a real boundary, not like here.

    Meanwhile, do you think Olivia Chow might save the SRT? To me, it makes zero sense to shut it down and replace it with buses until 2030. The SRT is cheaper by 2/3 than the regular subway to operate. Only because they do not want it, they would waste it down. Cars are getting old, so replace & upgrade them (some track work required). When I ride the SRT, it is busy, trains look fine, run fine. No problem. What about Vancouver, other cities running the same system? I would sign a petition to save the SRT.

    Steve: The Scarborough Subway is a provincial project and is already underway. Saving the SRT is not an issue, and the aged trains break down regularly. Yes Vancouver has the same technology (albeit newer trains) but they rarely have snow. When they do, Skytrain suffers the same reliability problems as the SRT. It is an inherent design problem with the power pick-up and propulsion system. It is worth noting that the Canada line in Vancouver uses conventional propulsion.

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  27. “I saw in Holland how abruptly city meets country, a real boundary, not like here.”

    That was like here, once upon a time. In the 1960’s, the greenbelt began on the north side of Steeles Avenue. So that at places such as Bathurst and Steeles, there were high-density towers on the south side of Steeles and productive farmers’ fields on the north side of Steeles. See the first photo here.

    This greenbelt has long since been paved over. Yes, now is not the first time that the Progressive Conservative Party is proposing to pave over a greenbelt. As the saying goes, they’ve got form.

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  28. Full disclosure: I voted for Olivia Chow.

    I live in Toronto and I travel regularly to all over Toronto and what I have noticed is that Josh Matlow has not put even a single sign in Scarborough or Rexdale. Does anyone know why? Olivia Chow and Anthony Furey are the only two candidates who made sure to visit every single ward but Josh Matlow has not made any visit to large swathes of Toronto including but not limited to Scarborough and Rexdale. Does anyone know why?

    Steve: This is fake news. Matlow has been to both Scarborough and Etobicoke.

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  29. Steve: Matlow has been to both Scarborough and Etobicoke.

    I don’t know about Rexdale but I too have not seen any Matlow sign in Scarborough, not even one. They may have never been put or they may have been removed by people who oppose Matlow in Scarborough although I never saw any Matlow sign in Scarborough even when the election signs first popped up a few weeks ago. PCK stated Rexdale and not Etobicoke and going to Rexdale does not necessarily mean that one went to Etobicoke. It’s like one can come to Ontario without ever going to Barrie for example.

    I too voted for Olivia Chow. I feel sad for Mitzie Hunter. She resigned her good MPP job to run for mayor and her support has slipped to under 5%; Mitzie Hunter should withdraw and endorse Olivia Chow to prevent someone like Furey, Bailao, or Saunders becoming mayor.

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  30. The current budget for the City of Toronto will not change much for 2023. It will be March of 2024, with Olivia Chow now in charge will we see changes. There maybe minor changes, but depends upon what is “minor”.

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