Doug Ford putting pressure on Justin Trudeau to help Toronto

Toronto must get its “fiscal house in order” and Ottawa will have to step up to help the cash-starved city, because Queen’s Park has done enough, says Premier Doug Ford.

One day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau heralded the election of Mayor-elect Olivia Chow — but warned there would be no new federal money for the city — the premier stressed the province has already contributed much more to Toronto.

“I find it ironic coming from the prime minister when we put up the ($235) million and the feds never put up anything,” Ford said Thursday, referring to provincial money transferred to Toronto to help cover 2022 pandemic costs.

Despite a request from the city, which has a $1-billion budget shortfall, Ottawa did not match the provincial share.

“I find that pretty rich. As a matter of fact, we put $3.3 billion to the city of Toronto,” he told reporters in Brantford.

That’s the overall amount of the city’s budget that the premier maintained comes directly from the province.

On Wednesday in Mississauga, Trudeau, whose Liberals represent 24 of Toronto’s 25 federal ridings, said “the provinces need to step up now to support the cities that are their area of jurisdiction.”

“We will continue to be there as a federal government, as a partner,” the prime minister said.

“But we will not be able to, with the importance of fiscal responsibility, … be there in replacing the province in areas where they have the need and they have the means to continue to invest significantly in their cities,” he said.

“Certainly that’s a conversation I had with Olivia last night and we’ll continue to work on last question.”

For his part, Ford also said city hall needs to tighten its belt.

“What I recommend to the city of Toronto … you have to get your fiscal house in order. You can’t be spending taxpayers money willy-nilly, said the premier, who presides over the largest-spending government in the history of Ontario.

His Tories tabled a $204.7-billion budget in March that is 29.1 per cent greater than former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne in 2018

“You need to get it in order. We did it, I did it. They can do it. There has to be a will,” he said.

Asked about Ford’s comments, Chow, who was elected Monday, said: “My experience is the city’s budget has been cut to the bone, but never say never — if there’s savings to be found, I will gladly take the advice.”

The incoming mayor underscored that she plans to have a constructive relationship with Queen’s Park.

“Certainly, I will seek the support of Premier Ford and we will have a lot of conversations between now and September,” she said at city hall.

Ford, who had backed third-place candidate Mark Saunders in Monday’s byelection, called Chow minutes after her victory was confirmed — as did Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark and Labour Minister Monte McNaughton.

With a byelection set for July 27 in Scarborough-Guildwood, the Tories, who hold 12 of the city’s 25 provincial ridings, are mindful they have to work with Chow.

The mayor-elect received 30.5 per cent of the vote in Scarborough-Guildwood with Liberal mayoral runner-up Ana Bailão taking 28.4 per cent and Saunders 9.9 per cent.

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