Rob Ford, Toronto Mayor... for how long?

On November 26, 2012, the long-awaited verdict in the case of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was passed. The position of Toronto mayor will be vacated on December 10, 2012 unless Ford is able to win an appeal. Should that fail, there will be a by-election in which Ford has said he will run. The crux of the issue was the term "conflict of interest" and how it's defined. Rob Ford voted against a motion regarding whether he should repay money he improperly raised in violation of the Conflict of Interest Act.

In the last couple of years, there has been little in the news about the positive changes happening in Toronto. Taxation is down, expensing by city councillors was slashed by almost half. In fact, if you look past his blundering persona and big mouth, Ford uses the same tactics as the bigshots at the provincial level. When the transit workers were threatening to strike, he blocked the action, just like the Air Canada pilot strike and the current provincial Bill C-115 blocking teachers from striking.

This leadership has been overshadowed by several run-ins with the media that unsurprisingly brought overwhelming media condemnation. When Ford called 9-1-1 upon finding the This Hour Has 22 Minutes crew on his lawn, his behaviour was the topic of conversation far more than his policies. While it can fairly be said that he overreacted, being met outside your home by television cameras early in the morning would try even the most patient of people, which Ford is not.

What remains to be seen is how the appeal process will play out. Barring a dramatic reversal of his position, Ford will be seeking to file an appeal within the 14-day window to stay in office but beyond that deadline he has 30 days to appeal the decision against him. In the event that he loses the appeal, as mentioned before, Ford has declared that he'll be seeking re-election. The crucial thing to remember is that Ford was relieved of office not for raising those funds, but for voting in council that he should not have to repay that money to the donors, creating a conflict of interest.

The decision passed down by Justice Charles Hackland can be framed in primarily two ways. On one hand, Mayor Ford failed to inform himself as to the responsibilities and limitations of his position and therefore committed an unwitting error that cost him his position. On the other, Ford publicly admitted to using his status to fundraise a miniscule amount of money and redirect a few city resources for his football team.

In essence it will come down to whether Torontonians believe in the principle or the practice. Either they'll understand that he's an uninformed, well-meaning everyman, or they'll decide that using an elected status to raise money — a tiny amount for a charity — is still intolerable. Whichever conclusion they reach will be heavily affected by the portrayal of Ford in the media, and his ability to keep his temper leading up to that hypothetical by-election.
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