Mayor Matt Brown is making the jump to reality TV — sort of.
London’s mayor will be featured on Tuesday’s episode of TVO’s Political Blind Date which features politicians from all levels of governments with different beliefs who debate hot button political issues.
The series began earlier this month with a discussion on marijuana between Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith from Toronto and Conservative MP Garnett Genuis from Alberta.
Brown will be paired up with bombastic Toronto coun. Giorgio Mammoliti to discuss safe injection sites.
London is currently holding public meetings regarding a possible safe consumption site while Toronto recently opened a safe consumption site.
Stats released by the Middlesex-London Health Unit say there were a record number of overdose related trips to the ER in 2008 and a record number of overdose related deaths in 2012.
“Giorgio had some different thoughts, so we got together for two days of shooting, one day here in London and another day Giorgio took me to Vancouver to take a look at people’s lived realities and what’s happening in both communities,” said Mayor Brown.
The creators of the show say the goal is to move politicians away from their talking points to deal with issues in real ways.
Brown says his trip to Vancouver was eye-opening but also re-assuring that London is on the right path.
“I saw a lot of people dealing with terrible addiction but I also saw a community that recognized the benefit of a supervised injection site. Quite frankly, that harm reduction strategy is saving many, many lives,” said Brown.
Last week the show saw former Toronto coun. Doug Ford discuss transit with NDP federal leader Jagmeet Singh. Future episodes will cover corrections with Liberal MPP Marie-France Lalonde and NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo and housing with Toronto coun. Maria Augimeri and Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs.
Mayor Brown is the only municipal politician outside of Toronto who participated in the show.
Political Blind Date airs at 9 p.m. Tuesday on TVO.
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