Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has revealed that he is “really excited” about having a “strong progressive as mayor of Toronto” after Olivia Chow’s byelection win.
Chow, the former NDP MPP, was elected with roughly 37 percent of the vote after beating former Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão by around 34,000 votes in a race that was tighter than many polls predicted.
While speaking with reporters during a recent announcement in Mississauga, Trudeau said that he believes that he has been able to collaborate effectively with Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford “despite difference of political parties.”
He stressed further that having “a strong progressive partner for Canada’s biggest city” in Chow “is a good thing.”
He said: “I know she will be a real partner on a lot of things we agree on, whether it is standing up for minorities and fundamental freedoms, whether it is women’s rights or LGBTQ2S+ rights or whether it is investing massively in housing and in accelerating the processes so we can solve the very real challenges so many people in the GTA and indeed around the country are facing on housing.
“The federal government has some tools we can deploy but it is best for us to work in partnership with municipalities and the provinces to deliver on housing and I know that is an area Premier Ford has talked about doing more in and certainly in my congratulatory call to Mayor Chow last night I was very much emphasizing the work we can do on housing but also on transit, on mental health and on so many things that matter very much to the people of Toronto.
“There is lots do and there will be lots of robust conversations across levels of government but having a strong progressive partner for Canada’s biggest city is a good thing.”
Trudeau expressed willingness to collaborate with Toronto on many issues and indicated that the federal government is not likely to provide funding to help offset the city’s $1.5 billion COVID-19 deficit, given the “importance of fiscal responsibility.”
Instead, he said making the city whole should be on the province which he said has the “need and the means to continue to invest significantly in cities.”
He said: “Certainly that is a conversation I had with Olivia last night and will continue to work on.”
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