Toronto Mayor Rob Ford defends robocalls, says more to come
Mayor Rob Ford defended making robocalls to residents in a Scarborough councillor’s ward Friday night, saying on his weekly radio show that he was simply informing them of his voting record and promising more calls to come.
Councillor Paul Ainslie said his constituents began receiving calls from the mayor Friday night, just hours after the councillor quit the mayor’s executive committee and days following a confrontation between the pair over the Scarborough subway extension. Ainslie voted against the plan.
“I did a robocall on Friday night to inform his constituents, which I truly believe is my responsibility,” Ford said Sunday on The City, a radio show he co-hosts with his brother Councillor Doug Ford. “I guarantee it won’t be the last robocall.”
Ford said the calls cost “a few hundred dollars” and that he pays for them out of his own pocket.
Councillor Ford said the calls should be “standard operating procedure.”
Ainslie resigned from the mayor’s executive committee Friday, criticizing Ford for being “out of ideas.” The councillor said the two parted ways politely Friday. The calls began by lauding the subway extension plan, then discussed Ainslie.
“It was extremely, extremely unfortunate that your councillor, Paul Ainslie, was the only Scarborough councillor who did not listen to his constituents, and voted against the Scarborough subway. In fact, he led the charge against building subways in Scarborough; unfortunately it has led to his resignation from my executive committee. We are moving forward with a team who support the mandate Toronto taxpayers gave me,” said the call, according to a recording obtained by the Star.
“I thought we could have an amicable parting of ways and move on. To be attacked over the telephone to my residents with no opportunity to refute what he’s saying leaves a bad taste in my mouth,” Ainslie said.
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