I’ve served as President of the University of Toronto Law and Politics Club for the past three years. In this role, I’ve attended speaker’s events with senior cabinet ministers, former Premiers, and members of provincial and federal parliament. The best part by far is the Q&A, where politicians show their mettle under fire by a roomful of law students. Some are awkward and unprepared. Others are sharp and quick witted. In my view, none showed themselves to be as competent and ready to lead as John Tory.
If Tory can survive the political firestorm to come, he will be the next mayor of Toronto. I say this with certainty for three reasons.
1. He’s smart. Not just intelligent, and not merely educated. Tory has people skills and a sixth sense about the city. He knows Toronto inside and out and can speak about issues that candidates (and residents) ignore. When there is no easy solution, Tory thinks of a creative one.
One example is Regent Park and the need for affordable housing in Toronto. The people of Toronto care about the community, but can’t afford to pay more taxes. Rather than dodge the issue, Tory has a solution: public-private partnerships. Another example is subsidized health care for seniors. This could be the most important economic issue for our generation. Yet Tory is one of few with the guts to put it on the table.
2. He’s experienced. Contrary to what Doug Ford might say, Tory does have a record, and it is damn impressive. He’s proven that he can make a success out of a struggling corporation (Rogers Cable), a sports league (the Canadian Football League), a community group (CivicAction), and a law firm (Torys LLP). He has done a better job with each project he’s taken on. This track record bodes well for the future of Toronto with Tory at the helm.
The secret to Tory’s success is simple. He doesn’t just solve problems – he anticipates them. Take the Gardiner Expressway, which is quite literally falling apart. Tory makes the obvious (but politically unpopular) point that the Gardiner is due for a major capital investment. This kind of business acumen is crucial in the leader of Canada’s largest city.
3. He has integrity. I’m not one to care much about what politicians do in their private lives. But there is an obvious benefit to having a mayor with a clean record: we can rest assured that he won’t be the target of blackmail.
Beyond this, Tory has shown himself to be a man of principal. A good friend of mine spent time working across the table from Tory at Queen’s Park. One of his favourite anecdotes from his time in politics involves Tory reaching out across party lines. They worked together on an obscure social issue that was extremely important to a very few people, many of whom weren’t eligible to vote. Politically, Tory had nothing to gain. He chose to make an impact for no reason other than he believed in the issue.
There is no doubt the mayoral race will get messy. The Fords have attacked Tory like a pitbull backed against a wall: they have met their match and they know it. The bottom line is that Torontonians are smart, capable, and well aware of what makes a good leader. If the marketplace of ideas works as it should, we’re on our way to a Tory victory this October.
