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Candidates change tactics at ArtsVote debate

It was always a safe bet that Monday’s ArtsVote debate would be a more civil affair than the gong show last week in York South-Weston.

The event at TIFF Bell Lightbox, which was sponsored by NOW Magazine, was only the second attended by Doug Ford since he joined the mayor’s race more than two weeks ago, and was a sharp contrast to his debut last Tuesday when candidates’ respective cheering sections hurled abuse at one another and one Ford supporter screamed at Olivia Chow to go “back to China.”

In an attempt to stave off a repeat of those scenes, moderator Damian Abraham, lead singer of hardcore heroes Fucked Up, warned Monday’s audience that he wouldn’t “tolerate any disrespect or bullying,” including misogyny, racism and homophobia. He needn’t have worried.

The debate focused solely on what government can do to boost the city’s creative sector, and while there were a few disagreements candidates were broadly in agreement on the major points, including the need to increase arts funding to $25 per capita, and the value of creating an office at City Hall to promote the music industry.

The inclusion of long-shot candidates Ari Goldkind and Morgan Baskin also meant there were fewer opportunities for the big three of Ford, Chow, and John Tory to go after one another.

Nevertheless, there were some revealing moments.

A kinder, gentler Doug

Without a rowdy crowd to feed off of, Ford was on his best behaviour. He refrained from making any of the “anti-elite” personal attacks against Tory’s that characterized the Weston debate, and even responded to one heckler with a polite “Thank you, ma’am!”

His docile demeanour caught the other candidates off guard. “Doug’s really had a nice cup of tea today,” Goldkind joked.

It was the kind of performance we may see again as Ford, who is polling in second, tries to tone down his trademark aggression and convince voters outside his base that he’s a viable, totally non-scary candidate.

Chow’s draws a bead on SmartTrack

In a move that elicited groans and a few mutterings of “brutal” from the audience, Chow used her closing statement to unveil her latest “art piece”: sketches of Tory’s SmartTrack plan she had drawn on a pair of napkins.

Abraham tried to urge Chow to stay on topic but she protested, “This is art!” Tory, recognizing a misstep in the making, was smart enough to tell the moderator to “just let it go.” When Chow was allowed to continue she explained she had brought napkins for the audience so that “you can create some transit plans” too, just like John Tory.

The point she was trying to make (and it’s a fair one) was that Tory has been less than forthcoming about the details of his plan, particularly the extent of tunnelling it would require. But in an attempt to expose SmartTrack’s flaws, she may only have succeeded in reminding voters of her own campaign’s weaknesses.

With less than a month before the election, Chow is polling third and needs to turn things around. Progressive voters have complained that we have yet to see the “real Olivia,” a candidate who speaks passionately and with sincerity about her vision to improve the city. But what she showed Monday was the opposite: a cynical, gimmicky side.

NOW readers ask the best questions

We’re going to go ahead and take credit for the fact that the debate’s best question was submitted by a NOW reader: What is the most transformative art experience you’ve ever had?

Chow said hers was visiting the AGO to see Ai Wei Wei’s work commemorating child victims of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. “Reading those names is just phenomenal because art is politics, and politics is art,” she said.

Tory said “every year” he finds Nuit Blanche a transformative experience, even though some of the art is “frankly, a little offbeat.”

Baskin also chose Nuit Blanche, specifically a “photocopier dance party” she went to in 2012.

Ford said his transformative experience came “when we funded the first murals in Rexdale.”

Abraham acted put out. “None of you mentioned seeing Fucked Up!” he complained.

Baskin impressed

Although she’s only 19 years old, Baskin looked right at home on the big stage with the heavyweight candidates. She showed her mettle from her opening remarks when she attacked Ford’s voting record, and spoke with confidence throughout the debate on policy specifics like making arts venues more accessible and promoting non-traditional art forms.

It’s almost impossible that Baskin will find herself in office on October 28, but asked after the debate if she would consider running again in 2018, she gave a typically thoughtful response: “I’ll be a different person then, so I don’t know. But sure, it’s a possibility.”

Damian Abraham’s other calling

Abraham proved as entertaining a moderator as he is a captivating front man. When the candidates tried to go off-topic and address non-arts issues, Abraham quickly steered them back on topic, and he was quick to cut them off when they went over time.

He seemed to enjoy the role but joked that if it was up to him, the debate would probably have “more swearing” and he wouldn’t be wearing a shirt.

bens@nowtoronto.com | @BenSpurr

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