One of the most colourful councillors at City Hall could soon be making a run for Queen’s Park.
Doug Ford, the mayor’s brother, told AM 640 on Wednesday morning that he will run for the Ontario PC Party in the next election, and dared the premier to call a vote this spring.
“I’m calling her out. Call an election Kathleen Wynne, in May, and I will run,” he said. “I will guarantee it, and we will defeat you, and we will make sure the fiscal ship of this province is going in the right direction.”
Councillor Ford (Etobicoke North) has mused about entering provincial politics before, vowing in 2012 to take up the PC banner if then premier Dalton McGuinty called a snap election.
If he were successful in securing a seat in the provincial legislature, Ford would follow in the footsteps of his father, Doug Sr., who represented Etobicoke from 1995 to 1999 under Premier Mike Harris.
At least one councillor was not impressed with Ford’s announcement on Wednesday. Adam Vaughan says his colleague should step down if he’s already set his sights on Queen’s Park.
“If his work lies at another level of government, and he’d rather be somewhere else, he should resign now and start his campaign,” Vaughan said. “I don’t think you should use your platform at city council to campaign for other levels of office. It’s unfair to the other candidates and I think it’s a conflict of interest.”
Vaughan said that Ford publicly eyeing a provincial run sends a message to his constituents that “he’s a part-time councillor,” a description Vaughan has also used against the mayor.
“It seems to run in the family. They’re all part-time. None of them ever seem to want to do their job,” he said.
Doug Ford’s departure from City Hall would be a loss for members of the press gallery, who often seek him out for comment on his elusive brother Rob.
And while Doug is unabashed defender of the mayor, some members of Rob’s staff might not be sorry to see him go. The outspoken councillor frequently sows confusion at City Hall because he’s often assumed to be speaking on behalf of his brother, even when his comments are at odds with the mayor’s positions.
Last week, Doug told a group of university students that it was “done deal” that the mayor would attend two Pride-related flag-raisings this year. Shortly afterward, Rob said he had no idea if he’d attend.
Doug is the second sitting councillor this term to announce his intention to run for the PC Party. Councillor Raymond Cho won the party’s nomination for the riding of Scarborough-Rouge River last December.
