ABOVE: Mayor Rob Ford says he’s “not going anywhere.” Jackson Proskow reports.
TORONTO – Mayor Rob Ford is preparing for a political showdown.
Less than a week after he admitted to crack cocaine use after months of denial, Ford prioritized a motion urging him to step aside – making it the first item council will debate this week.
The motion was put forward by Denzil Minnan-Wong before the mayor’s admission last Tuesday that he had smoked crack close to a year ago during a “drunken stupor.” But since then, and in the face of another video depicting the mayor in an apparent agitated fury, Minnan-Wong said he plans to amend it to include a plea for the province to step in if Ford doesn’t go willingly.
Calls for Ford to resign, step aside or just take a break have been coming from all sides of the political spectrum – even his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, suggested last week his brother could use a couple weeks off.
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Allegations of crack cocaine use have dogged the mayor since May when Gawker and The Toronto Star reported he had been filmed smoking what might be the infamous street drug.
For extensive coverage of Mayor Rob Ford, click here.
The motion could heighten city hall’s political theatre as council calls on the mayor to not only apologize for “misleading the City of Toronto” and co-operate fully with the Toronto Police but also answer questions put forward by the 44 members of city council.
The motion also urges Ford to take a temporary leave of absence to “address his personal issues.” But that appears unlikely to happen. Walking back to city hall following a Remembrance Day ceremony at Old City Hall Monday, the mayor told a supporter he is “not going anywhere.”
The mayor also debuted his official bobblehead on Monday. The collectibles retail for $20 with all proceeds going to the United Way.
Watch as former councillor Chris Korwin-Kuczynski shows of his new Rob Ford bobblehead and argues why Ford should remain mayor of Toronto.
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