Doug Ford to Toronto residents: ‘Don’t vote’ for mayoral candidates who want to defund police

Premier Doug Ford is urging Torontonians not to vote for any mayoral candidate who supports defunding the police.

While Ford did not mention anyone by name, it appeared to be a veiled shot at councillors Josh Matlow and Brad Bradford — and a tacit endorsement of former Toronto police chief Mark Saunders.

“There’s a couple of candidates that are running, they’re sitting councillors that voted to defund the police,” the premier told reporters Tuesday at Pearson International Airport.

“The people that voted for defund the police, don’t vote for them. Simple as that,” he said.

“We can’t have anarchy in our cities. People have been scared to get on our subway, go walk down the street. If there’s more than one or two candidates who support our police, then vote for them.”

Ford’s intervention in the June 26 Toronto mayoral byelection came after the shocking and unprovoked murder of 16-year-old Gabriel Magalhaes at Keele subway station Saturday.

The premier said the Magalhaes family are his constituents in the riding of Etobicoke North.

“It’s heartbreaking and I will be calling the mother and father. Our prayers and thoughts go out to them. We’re putting $3.8 billion into mental health — unprecedented amounts of money — and my heart breaks for them. That’s their child. I will be making a call to their family this afternoon.”

Matlow moved a motion to cut a minimum of 10 per cent from the 2021 Toronto police budget in June 2020 — when Saunders was still police chief — but it did not pass.

He wanted the savings to be redirected toward community-led alternatives to policing, anti-racism education and youth anti-violence programs.

Then-councillor Ana Bailão and Councillor Stephen Holyday, who are both running for mayor, opposed Matlow’s motion, which failed by a vote of 8-16.

Although Bradford supported it, he has since changed his tune on defunding the police.

Last month, the councillor said 2020 was a “particular moment in time” when people were reacting to the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd, and he said Toronto has taken steps since including creating nonpolice crisis response units.

The premier insisted he is remaining neutral in the contest — even though Saunders was a losing Progressive Conservative candidate in the Don Valley West in the June 2 provincial election.

“I’m not seeing any names. I don’t even know what number we’re up to here. What are we up to 40-some-odd people running? Everyone and their cousin, their brother, their uncle is in there and are running to be the mayor of Toronto,” said Ford.

“But there’s only maybe one or two people that I think could actually run the city.”

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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