Ford says Olivia Chow would be a ‘disaster’ as Toronto mayor

Stepping up his push for former police chief Mark Saunders as Toronto’s next mayor, Premier Doug Ford is warning front-runner Olivia Chow would be an “unmitigated disaster,” with tax hikes chasing businesses and jobs out of the city.

“God forbid Olivia Chow gets elected, your taxes are going up at an unprecedented rate,” Ford charged Wednesday in Burlington, taking aim at the former New Democrat MP, city councillor and school trustee.

Chow’s campaign did not immediately respond to the attack.

The comments marked a sharp change in tone for the premier, who on Tuesday said if Chow is elected, “I’ll work with her” and “we’ll sit down and come up with some common ground.”

Chow has repeatedly said on the campaign trail that she cannot pinpoint what any tax increases would be until she gets a full picture of the city’s finances, but has pledged the hike would be “modest.”

She’s promised to get the city more directly involved in building affordable housing, reverse TTC service cuts and to reinvest in parks and other services that many felt suffered under former mayor John Tory’s centre-right, low-tax rule.

“Businesses are going to be fleeing Toronto as far as I’m concerned,” Ford added Wednesday at an event to announce more funding for training of boilermakers to help close the province’s skilled workers gap.

“My biggest fear is the gravy train 2.0 coming down the track.”

Ford, who has a Saunders sign on his Etobicoke front lawn, said the former police chief is “the only one that’s run a billion-dollar operation with 7,000 employees, he’s the only one who has represented every part of our city.”

The premier’s outburst at Chow came as he was asked about Tory’s endorsement of former city councillor Ana Bailão — who was Tory’s deputy mayor — for the top job.

Ford dismissed candidates other than Saunders as “basically downtown” types, and said he hasn’t talked to him in a couple of weeks.

“I haven’t been out there banging on doors, have tried to stay out of it.”

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