Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Toronto, Mayoral candidate Olivia Chow has released a full platform that she says will help build a “stronger” and “more caring” city.
The 49-page platform includes 58 promises, many of which Chow has previously discussed during the course of the campaign.
Some of the highlights include a commitment to create 15,000 new affordable housing units within the next four years, 3,000 new day care spaces — half of which would be subsidized — and 5,000 new jobs for young people by demanding that companies doing work for the city provide youth employment and apprenticeship opportunities.
Chow’s platform also includes several governance-related ideas, including the abolishment of the Ontario Municipal Board and proposals for the institution of a ranked ballot system. She also called for a shorter municipal election campaign period and enhanced powers for the integrity commissioner.
“The bottom line is where good government starts; not where it ends,” Chow told reporters. “The important job we have to do is bigger than balancing the books. It is about balancing the needs of all the people in this city, their hopes their dreams. It is about what we are willing to do together to make sure the good work, the good ideas, the good hearts of this city shine out for all the world to see again.”
Chow, who trails both John Tory and Doug Ford in the polls, is the first candidate to release a full election platform.
The document includes few surprises and in fact the biggest shock may be what is not in it — her plan to increase the frequency of bus service on key routes by 10 per cent during rush-hour is replaced with a vague commitment to “immediately invest in boosting bus service citywide.”
Chow was asked about the apparent shift following the release of the platform and cautioned against reading too much into it.
TTC officials have previously said that there are no spare vehicles in its fleet, making an increase in bus service frequency virtually impossible.
“We didn’t go into specific percentage in the platform but we are talking about increasing bus service right now,” Chow said. “We will work with the TTC to get as many buses out there as possible so people don’t have to wait so long.”
As for funding sources, Chow’s platform reiterates a previous commitment to instituting a more “progressive” tax system, beginning with a one percentage point increase on the land transfer tax for properties sold for more than $2 million.
The plan runs directly contrary to a promise made by Doug Ford on Thursday to cut the tax by 15 per cent every year for the next four.
“I say to my two opponents: start being honest with people,” Chow said. “Start saying that you either will cut services or you will have to invest. We have to invest now and that is my pledge.”
Reacting to Chow’s platform in an interview with CP24 on Friday afternoon, frontrunner John Tory said that it will do little to provide transit relief to Torontonians now.
“What she is talking about in terms of a major heavy order transit initiative is 17 years and it is the same with Mr. Ford by the way. They are both on the downtown relief line which will give no relief for 17 years,” he said. “As for her bus plan, the problem is she wants to hire bus drivers to drive buses the TTC has said don’t exist and if they did exist there would be no place to store them because that bus garage that is going to be built in Scarborough won’t be there until 2019. This whole thing doesn’t really add up.”
Some of the other items of note in Chow’s platform include:
Empowering local neighbourhoods to request speed limit reductions of 10 km/h on side streets.
Replacing the Scarborough subway extension with a previously-approved light rail transit line and begining enginnering studies on a downtown relief line “right away.”
Building 200 kilometres of separated and designated bike lanes.
Saying no to jets at Billy Bishop Airport.
Providing an additional 36,000 students access to a pre-existing school nutrition program.
Creating an agency called “Global Toronto” to promote the city to an international audience.
Extending a small business tax cut due to expire in 2015 until 2020.
Planting one million trees over the next decade, doubling the city’s tree canopy.
