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David Miller (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
David Raymond Miller is a Canadian
politician. He was the 63rd Mayor of Toronto and the second since the 1998 amalgamation
. He was elected to the position in 2003 for a three-year term and re-elected in 2006 for a four-year term. He entered politics as a member of the New Democratic Party
, although his mayoral campaign and terms in office were without any formal party affiliation. He did not renew his party membership in 2007.
On September 25, 2009 Miller announced that he would not seek a third term as mayor in the 2010 election
, citing family reasons. In 2011, Miller will assume a position with the World Bank
as an advisor on urban issues.
Miller was born in San Francisco, California
. His American father, Joe Miller, died of cancer in 1960, and his English
mother Joan returned with her son to Thriplow
, south of Cambridge
. Miller spent his earliest years in England before moving to Canada with his mother in 1967. He attended Lakefield College School
on a scholarship at the time Prince Andrew
was a student there.
Miller completed a four-year undergraduate degree at Harvard University
, graduating summa cum laude
in Economics in 1981. He earned a Bachelor of Laws
degree from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law
in 1984 and became a partner at the prominent Toronto law firm of Aird & Berlis LLP
, specializing in employment, immigration law
and shareholder rights. He represented Toronto Islands
residents in a 1985 arbitration case while an articling student, and later described this experience as his introduction to municipal politics. He married fellow lawyer Jill Arthur in 1994. The pair have two children. Miller joined the New Democratic Party
(NDP) in 1985, and has a picture of former NDP leader Tommy Douglas
displayed on his office wall.
He first campaigned for the Metropolitan Toronto
council in 1991
, arguing that Toronto needed to improve its public transit system to establish itself as a world-class city. He lost to incumbent councillor Derwyn Shea
. Miller was subsequently the NDP's candidate for Parkdale—High Park
in the 1993 Canadian federal election
, and finished fourth against Liberal
incumbent Jesse Flis
.
He did not renew his membership in the NDP when it expired in 2007, stating that he did not want to be seen as partisan when dealing with the provincial and federal governments.
, and was elected for the High Park ward over former Member of Parliament
Andrew Witer
and future cabinet minister
Tony Clement
. Following the election, he was appointed to the Metro Planning and Transportation Committee, the Metro Anti-racism Committee, and the Board of Governors for Exhibition Place. He spoke against Metro's decision to cut $3 million from its staffing budget in early 1995, arguing that the resulting hardship for laid-off workers during a national recession would be "unconscionable".
The provincial government of Mike Harris
amalgamated several surrounding municipalities into the City of Toronto in 1997, with the stated intention of eliminating duplication of services and increasing efficiency. Miller argued that the decision to eliminate six local councils and establish a "megacity" was carried out without public approval. He proposed an alternate plan to fold the six local councils into the existing Metro council, but this received little support.
He campaigned for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
in 1996, running as the NDP candidate in York South to succeed outgoing party leader Bob Rae
. He was narrowly defeated by Liberal Party candidate Gerard Kennedy
.
, winning one of the two seats in Ward 19, High Park. He was appointed to the Toronto Transit Commission
(TTC) after the election, and became a prominent ally of TTC chair Howard Moscoe
. He was also appointed to lead a twelve-member committee that studied the transition to amalgamated municipal services, and successfully advocated that Toronto City Hall rather than Metro Hall to be the permanent seat of the new government. Miller later served on a three-member committee that recommended changes to the municipal ward boundaries.
Miller issued a formal apology on behalf of the TTC in June 1999, following complaints about a subway advertisement by the Toronto police union that some believed depicted Hispanic
s as criminals. The following year, he argued that the union's controversial "Operation True Blue" telemarketing campaign was creating a climate of intimidation for Toronto residents. Both Miller and his wife claimed that they had received threatening telephone calls during the 2000 municipal election
, after the police union listed his home telephone number in a campaign advertisement.
Miller became known as an advocate for waterfront parklands during his time on council. He supported several aspects of a 2000 report from Robert Fung of the Toronto Waterfront
Task Force, while criticizing the proposal to sell parkland near Exhibition Place for private development. He also opposed plans to construct a condominium near Toronto's High Park
within his ward, instead supporting the construction of affordable housing for low-income residents.
Miller strongly opposed a plan by Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman
to ship Toronto's garbage to the Adams Mine in Northern Ontario
(the plan was ultimately defeated by council).
over fellow councillor Bill Saundercook
in Ward 13, Parkdale-High Park. He was re-appointed to the TTC and sought election as its chair, but was passed over in favour of Brian Ashton
. In 2001, he expressed concern that the WheelTrans bus service for the disabled might be contracted out to the private sector.
Miller won the unanimous support of his colleagues in July 2001 for a motion requesting that the federal government approve the transfer of gasoline-tax revenues to Toronto's public transit system. He later suggested that Toronto's building revenues could be put toward priority spending rather than being stored in reserve accounts, arguing that the city's real estate boom would allow council to defer transit hikes and provide programs for children and the homeless. He was also a leading voice in exposing Toronto's MFP computer leasing scandal
in 2001 and 2002, bringing to light several questionable lobbying practices at city hall.
As chair of the city's working group on immigrant and refugee issues, Miller introduced a mentorship program making it easier for recent immigrants to gain work experience in Toronto.
Miller was given an A+ grade and named the best councillor by Toronto Life
magazine in November 2000 for his work on council. In April 2002, the Toronto Environmental Alliance
awarded him an "A" grade for his work on the TTC.
Mayor Mel Lastman and Miller had an adversarial relationship on council. This was exemplified during a May 2002 debate when Lastman yelled at Miller, "You will never be mayor of this city because you say stupid and dumb things!" Miller later remarked that the exchange was what encouraged him to run for mayor. Despite being council opponents, Lastman attended the funeral for Miller's mother.
Miller later became the most prominent opponent of Lastman's plan to build a $22 million bridge to the Toronto Island Airport. Supporters of the bridge argued that it would eliminate one of the world's shortest ferry rides, make airline service more efficient, and provide a financial benefit to the city. Miller argued that the bridge would prevent the city from revitalizing its waterfront, and asserted that the proposed deal put the interests of developers and lobbyists ahead of the public. The bridge became a major issue when he ran for mayor during the 2003 campaign.
, Irene Jones
and Anne Johnston
and urban planner Jane Jacobs
. He was later endorsed by councillors Olivia Chow
, Joe Pantalone
and Brian Ashton
, public figures such as June Callwood
, Judy Rebick
, Margaret Atwood
, Michael Ondaatje
and Michele Landsberg
, American environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Canadian Union of Public Employees
and the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters Association. The Toronto Star
newspaper, journalist Royson James
and councillors Raymond Cho and Michael Walker
also endorsed Miller near the end of the campaign.
Miller's campaign organization was diverse. As well as support from many New Democrats and social activists, his top campaign strategists included veteran Conservative
John Laschinger and Liberal Peter Donolo
. Architect Jack Diamond
was also a co-chair of his campaign.
Miller used a broom
as a prop in this campaign, symbolizing his commitment to cleaning up Toronto both literally, in terms of litter, and metaphorically, arguing that there were shady deals at City Hall. He pledged to cancel the airport bridge, appoint a municipal ethics commissioner, and promote public transit by fully implementing the TTC's ridership growth plan. He supported a police request to hire thirty-two new officers, and opposed rival candidate John Tory
's plans for trash incineration in favour of continuing garbage shipments to Michigan.
At one stage in the campaign, Miller raised the possibility of collecting tolls on the Don Valley Parkway
and Gardiner Expressway
. After criticism from other candidates, including John Tory who described it as "Highway Robbery", Miller dropped the suggestion. During another debate, when John Nunziata
denied that he tried to introduce a private member's bill to ban abortion, Miller produced a copy of Nunziata's proposed legislation to contradict him.
At the start of the campaign in early 2003, Barbara Hall
led by a wide margin, with John Nunziata
a distant second, while Miller and Tory initially had support in single digits. Miller's polling numbers stalled around 12-13% for most of 2003, but increased in October when front-runner Hall suddenly lost much of her support. He first led a city-wide poll on 22 October 2003, scoring 31% support against 29% for Hall and 23% for John Tory.
Hall's support continued to dissipate, and she fell to a distant third. The final stage of the campaign was between Miller and Tory, who each had a base of solid support; Miller among urban residents and progressives, while Tory was backed by the suburbs and conservatives. Days before the vote, prominent Hall supporters Bob Rae
and Kyle Rae
acknowledged that she could not win, and encouraged her supporters to vote for Miller over Tory. Miller defeated Tory 43% to 38% (Hall was third with 9%), and appointed Jane Jacobs and former Toronto Mayor David Crombie to chair his transition team.
Miller's first term as mayor focused on issues such as waterfront
renewal, public transit and municipal reform. He also shifted toward a focus on community safety issues following an increase in gun violence
during 2005. Many of Miller's initiatives did not come to fruition within his first few years as mayor. Supporters pointed out they were centred on long-term development goals, while detractors criticized the pace of change.
Bridge. He argued that the bridge was detrimental to the regional environment, was unwanted by most local residents, and stood in the way of a more comprehensive renewal of the waterfront economy. Supporters of the bridge argued that it would make airline service more efficient, and provide a financial benefit. The vote, held on December 3, 2003, was 32-12 in favour of withdrawal. Afterwards, the federal government announced that it would withdraw its support for the project. There were subsequent threats of legal action against the City by the Toronto Port Authority
(TPA) and developer Robert Deluce
, but these were settled in 2005 when the federal government agreed to pay $35 million in compensation.
The federal payment was controversial for both supporters and opponents of Miller's administration. Liberal MP Tony Ianno
defended it as providing fair compensation to legitimate claimants, and saying that it invalidated Miller's pledge to cancel the bridge without incurring further expense. Miller's allies, including NDP leader Jack Layton
, argued that the payout was overly generous, and did not reflect the true costs of cancellation. Shortly after the settlement, Miller announced that he would seek the repayment of $27 million in back taxes from the Port Authority to the city.
that would start a commuter service at the Island Airport, with the planes built at Bombardier
's Downsview plant. It would provide travelers with direct flights to Toronto's city centre, which Pearson International
is currently unable to offer, as it is located 30 km away. Opponents of expansion argued that increased services would result in greater noise pollution
for downtown residents, as well as preventing other economies from flourishing in the waterfront region. Miller argued that the city may soon have to face the choice of "an industrial or revitalized waterfront". Some supporters of expansion have suggested this is a false dichotomy, and have argued that expansion can be integrated with a larger revitalization plan. Deluce's proposal won support from both business interests and Canadian Auto Workers
leader Buzz Hargrove
, who said it would create new jobs for workers in the region. A Toronto Star
report from early February 2006 indicated most Toronto residents opposed expansion.
In late September 2006, it was reported that Robert Deluce's REGCO (the parent company of Porter Airlines) received $20 million of the $35 million paid by the federal government. This payment assisted Deluce in starting his new airline, and opponents have charged that it was for all intents and purposes a federal subsidy. Miller described the payout as "totally improper".
that controls the Toronto Island Airport. Miller called for the TPA to be either eliminated or significantly reformed, and has argued that more oversight powers should be granted to the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp., which is managed by all three levels of government. Miller himself joined the TWRC as a voting member in 2006.
The Harper government announced in May 2006 that it would conduct a review of the Port Authority, and scrutinize past decisions related to the bridge project. Former deputy minister of justice Roger Tassé was named to oversee the review. Miller described himself as "cautiously optimistic", although he later found it "very regrettable and very worrying" that federal Transport Minister
Lawrence Cannon
appointed five members of the Port Authority executive before the report was complete. When the Tassé Report was released in November 2006, it defended the Port Authority's decision to sign a bridge contract just before the 2003 election, and described the $35 million payout to DeLuce as "reasonable". Miller dismissed the document as "not worth the paper it is written on", while MP Olivia Chow referred to it as a "total whitewash" and accused the Conservative government of doing a "complete about face" on the issue.
world fair. He argued that the event would assist the city's plans for waterfront renewal, and would "show Toronto to the world". Council voted 37-2 to launch a bid in May 2006. The bid collapsed in November 2006, when the federal, provincial and municipal governments failed to reach agreement on who would cover potential losses. Miller refused to blame either level of government for the failed bid, although councillor Brian Ashton
argued that the province was mostly to blame.
has argued that the plant will be necessary to meet Toronto's energy needs.
as Toronto's budget chief. Although Miller and Soknacki are from different ideological backgrounds, they were political allies in managing the city's finances. Toronto's budget shortfall when Miller assumed office was $344 million. There was a general agreement among local politicians and political analysts that the city needed to increase its residential property tax base. Miller promised to hold such increases to 3% per year.
Miller's first budget
was passed by city council in late April 2004, by a vote of 29-10. The city eliminated its previous shortfall while increasing spending by 6%, and keeping residential property taxes increases at 3% and business and industrial property taxes to 1.5% The city's total operating budget for the year was $6.7 billion.
Miller engaged in a scaled-back consultation process prior to delivering his second budget in 2005. Following months of difficult negotiations, the city passed a balanced budget by taking $19.8 million from its reserve funds. Soknacki acknowledged that this was a difficult decision, and Miller's administration argued that the provincial government had increased Toronto's budgetary difficulties by not providing $72.3 million for provincially-mandated social programs. During the late stages of negotiations, provincial Municipal Affairs Minister John Gerretsen
suggested that the city could make up for its budgetary shortfall by raising property taxes above 3%. Miller rejected this advice. The total operating budget for the year was $7.1 billion, with residential property tax increases again held to 3% and business and industry property tax increases held to 1.5%. Increased funds were provided to policing, transit, parks and social programs. Miller and Soknacki argued that it was the best possible budget under the circumstances, although it was criticized by several right-wing councillors.
In late 2005, Miller endorsed a policy which shifted a portion of Toronto's property tax burden from businesses and commercial operators to homeowners. Acknowledging that this was a difficult decision, he argued that it was necessary to prevent an exodus of jobs from the city. The decision was endorsed by the Toronto Industry Network. Toronto's capital budget for 2006 was $1.3 billion, and was targeted toward such items as road repairs, police stations and recreation centres.
Miller clashed with Toronto Board of Trade President and CEO Glen Grunwald
at a February 2006 budgetary consultation meeting, after Grunwald presented a number of policy measures designed to solve Toronto's budget shortfall. Grunwald's recommendations included reducing spending on non-priority items, increasing user fees, privatizing some services and implementing the auditor general's 800 suggestions. Miller criticized the suggestions as "poorly researched", and said that the Board of Trade presentation "didn't befit the role they have as city builders." Toronto Star columnist Royson James, suggested that Miller's response was disproportionately harsh, and may have alienated some business interests. Other critics have pointed out that a fiscal self-examination was long overdue, while provincial officials have been hesitant to agree with the city's requests for funding, arguing that "city hall has done too little to tighten its belt".
In January 2006, there were media reports that Toronto was facing a $532 million shortfall on its operating budget. To promote cost-cutting, Miller and Soknacki encouraged the city to adopt a "zero-based budgeting" approach, wherein all city departments begin with zero authorized funds and are required to defend all proposed expenditures. The city later announced a hiring freeze. Early fears of significant tax increases were allayed by significant provincial investment in the city. Led by Miller, council passed a $7.6 billion operating budget by a vote of 27-17, again holding residential tax increases to 3% and business tax increases to 1%. The budget contained new money to hire police officers and bus drivers.
David Soknacki did not run for reelection in 2006. After the election, Shelley Carroll
was appointed as the city's new budget chief. The city introduced $7.8 billion operating budget with a 3.8% property tax increase in 2007; Miller argued that the increase was necessary for the city's expenses. Miller has also pushed for new municipal taxes (mostly "sin tax
es") and parking fees under the new City of Toronto Act.
Based upon a 2007 city report, Miller proposed imposing a $60 vehicle-registration tax and a 1.5 per cent land transfer tax, which would be expected to generate $354 million. He argued that the new measures were essential to sustaining the city's budget, without reducing services or raising property taxes. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Toronto Board of Trade were opposed, with the latter warning that the proposals would have a negative economic impact on businesses. Miller asserted that residents support the notion of increased taxes as long as the money is being used properly. A survey conducted by the Environics Research Group showed that 70 percent of respondents supported a cut in expenditures rather than new taxes. A similar number also preferred that the proposals to be debated in the 2010 municipal election before being implemented, as Miller did not mention new taxes during the 2006 campaign. On July 16, council voted 23-22 to defer debating the measures until after the October 2007 provincial election
. Miller denied that it was a personal defeat, while Councillor Case Ootes
, who led the opposition to the measures, described it as a "wake-up call" to Miller that residents wanted spending curbed.
In the aftermath, Miller immediately proposed several drastic service cuts with the stated intention of saving $100 million from the operating budget. These measures included closing the Sheppard Subway line, cancelling underused bus routes, and scrapping renovations and extra staff to the mayor's office. Miller argued that these were the only responsible steps that Toronto could take to prevent a financial crisis. This drew criticism from several councillors and columnists, with provincial Finance Minister Greg Sorbara
attacking the cuts as "quick, perhaps poorly thought out decisions". While they acknowledged the city was faced with a significant budget crisis, they described Miller's announcements as a political ploy, citing his initial move to go to the media instead of calling special session to discuss the cuts, with Brian Ashton
suggesting that Miller was punishing councillors that did not support the new taxes.
Miller dismissed Ashton from the executive committee for being the lone member to vote for the deferral of the new taxes. The committee is part of the new "strong mayor" system where key issues are dealt with before being brought to full council. The stated intention was to streamline the decision-making process, but Ashton and Ootes have criticized Miller for treating it as a cabinet and limiting debate with the whole council. Ashton argued that Miller did little to persuade skeptical councillors and the public of the need for new taxes.
Under Miller's direction, City Manager Shirley Hoy implemented $34-million in service cuts to the 2007 budget in August 2007 without seeking council approval. Miller's spokesperson defended the move, saying "we’ve got a serious financial shortfall that has to be addressed". The North York and Etobicoke community councils passed motions, by 9-1 and 6-1 majorities respectively, asking Toronto council to stop its plan to close community centres on Mondays and delay the opening of ice rinks. The North York motion was tabled by David Shiner
, but two allies of the Mayor Howard Moscoe
and John Filion
voted for it, with Shelley Carroll
as the lone dissenter. Based upon interviews, a majority of councillors are expected to vote to reverse the controversial cuts at the next meeting scheduled for September 26. Ashton suggested that "[Miller]'s grip is slipping" and "It’s like the emperor is doing a slow striptease". An arbitrator later ruled that the library closures violated the collective bargaining agreement with the union.
Miller has since pushed to have the two tax measures implemented. An Environics Research Group for real estate and construction groups showing that 62% were against the measures, while 85% thought that the mayor's campaign at fairtaxes.ca either had no effect on their support for the new taxes or turned them against. Miller pointed out that two-thirds of 30,000 hits to the website were in favour of the plan. He also argued that at neighbourhood meetings, most initial questions were not about taxes but rather about service improvements. The measures were passed on Oct. 23, 2007 by a majority of 26 to 19 and 25 to 20.
, the city's public transit system. He took part in negotiations with the federal and provincial governments during 2004, which resulted in one billion dollars in additional funding being allocated for the cash-strapped TTC over five years. The city also received an additional $70 million in up-front provincial funding in 2004 to forestall a fare increase.
In late 2004, the provincial government of Dalton McGuinty announced that it would provide $355 million in provincial gas tax revenues for the TTC over three years. Miller welcomed this investment, but later criticized the McGuinty government for including a planned cash bailout in early 2005 as part of its larger grant, rather than as a separate cash investment. Miller's first TTC operating budget in 2004 was $219 million.
With Miller's permission, the TTC approved a small fare increase in early 2005. The price of adult tickets and tokens was increased by ten cents, while adult cash fare was increased 25 cents. The TTC mitigated this change by introducing a weekly $30 pass that could be transferred among several users. TTC chair Howard Moscoe said that the rise was unfortunate, but argued that it was "basically an inflationary increase".
Miller endorsed the creation of a streetcar right-of-way
along St. Clair Avenue
, a six-lane arterial road
within the city, in accordance with the recommendations of the TTC ridership plan. The right-of-way project passed council by a vote of 36-7 in September 2004, but triggered some local opposition. Supporters argue that the project will make public transit more efficient, and set an important precedent for public transit expansion. Opponents, especially in the Dufferin Street
business community, have criticized the plan on the grounds that it will reduce customer parking during rush hour. Other opponents, including the Canadian Automobile Association
have argued that the right-of-way will increase automobile congestion, since the proposal bans left turns and may divert traffic to neighbourhood streets. Supporters have questioned this latter claim, pointing to the success of a previous right-of-way implemented on Spadina Avenue. Former Toronto mayor John Sewell
, a long-standing supporter of public transit, has emerged as a vocal opponent of the right-of-way plan.
A group called Save-Our-St. Clair (SOS) took its objections to the Ontario Superior Court in 2005, and won a panel ruling which forced a halt to the project in October. The city subsequently cited a potential bias on the part of one of the judges, and asked that the ruling be set aside. The panel voted 2-1 to recuse themselves in November 2005, and so overturned their previous decision. In February 2006, the Ontario Divisional Court ruled against SOS and gave the city authority to move forward with the project.
Miller also supports the creation of rapid transit bus service lines throughout the city, arguing that these will provide the benefits of subway travel at a much lower expense. He has promoted the TTC Ridership Growth Strategy, a plan which aims to increase ridership and reduce overcrowding.
Miller strongly criticized a one-day wildcat strike by TTC workers in late May 2006, describing the job action as "illegal, unlawful and absolutely unacceptable".
Miller endorsed the TTC's plan to purchase new subway cars from Bombardier
, which awarded a contract for construction of the cars via a non-competitive bid. Some members of council criticized the deal, noting that other city departments require competitive bids on contracts of this size. They also cited a study from rival company Siemens
that its proposal could have saved the city up to $100 million (Bombardier officials have questioned this figure). Miller and TTC chair Howard Moscoe have argued that the Bombardier contract was awarded fairly, and that it will provide the city with both affordable subway cars and local parts-supply employment. Miller described the deal as "good for city taxpayers and good for Ontario". City council approved the deal in September 2006 by a vote of 25-18.
In November 2006, Miller suggested a parking lot surcharge to encourage public transit. He also proposed a Simcoe Street extension to provide a downtown link to the waterfront.
Miller is a member of the new Metrolinx (then known as Greater Toronto Transit Authority) in early 2007.
In mid-March 2007, Miller and TTC planners unveiled a fifteen-year plan to construct a light-rail network linking almost every neighbourhood within the city. The plan is conditional on funding from other levels of government. The government of Ontario has committed itself to funding two-thirds of the project. He has also announced a plan to build more than 1,000 kilometres of bike lanes by 2012.
initially requested that the police cut $14.2 million from their request, a figure which police chief Julian Fantino
argued would jeopardize essential services. After a lengthy and sometimes heated debate, the council voted 40-5 on April 21, 2004 to approve a police budget of $679.1 million.
Police spending has increased by $117 million under Miller's administration, and 450 new officers have been put on the streets. In November 2006, Miller stood with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Dalton McGuinty to announce tougher bail conditions for persons accused of gun crimes. Miller and McGuinty both support Harper's plan for a "reverse-onus" provision, in which persons accused of gun crimes will be required to demonstrate why they should not be held in custody before a trial. Harper has rejected Miller's call for a ban on handguns.
Later in the year, Miller became involved in a labour dispute between the Police Services Board and the Toronto Police Association. The board, led by councillor Pam McConnell
, wanted to save revenue by clawing back existing rates of retention pay and eliminating lunch-hour pay for officers on inactive duty during compressed shifts. The police association argued that the proposals would cause an exodus of officers and result in lower pay for officers working compressed schedules. After a series of acrimonious meetings, negotiations broke down and the association entered a work-to-rule
campaign by refusing to patrol or hand out fines.
During the course of this dispute, the association printed full-page advertisements in the Toronto Star and Toronto Sun asking the mayor to become personally involved through his role as a board member. It also issued an open letter which asked if Miller wanted to be remembered "as the mayor who was tough on crime, or the mayor who was tough on cops". On October 31, Miller informed the media that he was working to bring both sides together. A tentative deal was signed in early November, with reports that board had compromised on retention pay. One published report suggests that Ralph Lean, a leading Miller fundraiser, played an instrumental role in ending the dispute through private negotiations with former Association head Craig Bromell
.
who ran a cartoon comparing Miller to Adolf Hitler
. (The paper's editor apologized after Miller and the Canadian Jewish Congress
condemned the cartoon.)
Former councillor Rob Davis
led a protest march in support of Fantino. Some journalists and Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara
, whose government shortly afterwards appointed Fantino as Commissioner of Emergency Management, speculated that Miller played an influential behind-the-scenes role in the board's decision not to renew Fantino's contract. Miller denied this, saying that he would have preferred the board to reserve any decision until September.
In early 2005, Miller argued that Fantino's replacement as Chief of Police should revamp the city's scheduling practices. He argued that the existing system was designed for the convenience of officers living outside of Toronto, and should be revised to permit more officers on the streets during important periods. The following month, he unexpectedly sided with the Toronto Police Association against the Toronto Police Services Board in opposing mandatory drug testing for officers.
In March 2005, Miller asked of the Police Services Board that he be granted a participatory role in the selection of the next police chief. He argued that he could provide "a voice that represents all Torontonians rather than that of a particular stakeholder", and said that he would recuse himself from formal deliberations and the final decision. Board member Case Ootes
responded that the mayor's request amounted to political interference, and said there was "some contradiction" between the request and Miller's earlier refusal to engage in public debate over Fantino's removal. The Board turned down Miller's request. By way of compromise, he was allowed to see the board's shortlist of candidates and propose interview questions for applicants.
Fantino was succeeded on a temporary basis by Mike Boyd, a retired deputy chief who had worked closely with Miller when the latter was still a councillor. In April 2005, the board chose Bill Blair
as Fantino's permanent replacement. There was some media speculation that the mayor's office would have preferred Boyd for the position, though Miller denied this. In an effort to move beyond previous hostilities, Miller awarded Fantino with the Key to the City on April 14, 2005. During the ceremony, Miller described Fantino as "a man of integrity who has done tremendous work to help keep Toronto safe."
Miller indicated that he would take a seat on the Police Services Board halfway through his first term, and replaced Ootes during the city's mid-term shuffle of positions in May 2005. Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone
indicated that Ootes was replaced because his right-wing policy views were inconsistent with the aims of Miller's administration.
to head a panel on gun-related crime in the city. Fantino described Miller's plan as "holistic", and gave it his support. Some councillors expressed concern that the measures would not be effective against serious criminals, and Etobicoke
councillor Doug Holyday
suggested that Miller should instead lobby the federal government for tougher laws. Nonetheless, council unanimously approved Miller's plan on 1 March 2004.
After a series of gang-related shootings in summer 2005, Miller argued that lax American gun laws were creating unsafe conditions in Toronto. He noted that half the firearms in Toronto originated in America. The mayor also announced that most of a $4.3 million police budget surplus would go toward hiring 150 new officers. He had previously opposed hiring large numbers of new officers when campaigning for mayor, at a time when gang-related shootings in the city were fewer and less pronounced.
Some journalists noted similarities between Miller's revised policy and that proposed by John Tory in 2003. Miller also called upon Toronto's business leaders to target street crime by providing jobs for unemployed youth; one year later, he was able to report increased hirings in both the public and private sectors. Some councillors, including Michael Thompson
, suggested that Miller waited too long before reacting to reports of increased violence.
biker gang. Shortly thereafter, Miller was overheard saying "Is your police force in jail? Mine is." in a private aside to the Lord Mayor of London
, who was in Toronto to announce a new partnership between the cities. Miller explained that he made the comment in order to introduce the scandal to his guest, following an awkward press scrum
which the Lord Mayor walked away from after several questions about the local controversy. He later apologized, saying "the allegations are serious and I shouldn't have referred to them with humour". After the mayor's initial comment, Fantino was quoted on the CablePulse 24
program The Chief as saying, "I feel like someone has driven a stake through my heart". He later accepted Miller's apology.
vigilante group to establish a base in Toronto. Their opposition failed to stop the Angels, who have since initiated patrols in the city.
A poll taken by Ipsos-Reid
in October 2005 showed that the mayor, council, police and judges all received low to middling grades from the Toronto public in their handling of increased gang activity. The poll gave Police Chief Bill Blair and the Toronto Police Services a C average grade, followed by community leaders (C-), Miller (D+), city council (D), the Attorney General of Ontario (D), and the judges and justices of the Peace (D).
Miller announced in May 2004 that Toronto would install over 2,000 energy-efficient traffic signal lights. He also endorsed the Deep lake water cooling
project, in which water from Lake Ontario
is used to cool office buildings in downtown Toronto. In early 2005, he and Chicago Mayor
Richard M. Daley
made a joint address to the Great Lakes Congressional Breakfast in Washington, D.C.
Miller was the first Canadian mayor to address the meeting.
A municipal "litter audit" in September 2006 found that the city was 40% cleaner from the previous year. The survey chose 298 random sites throughout the city, and measured the amount of litter in each area.
The City of Toronto is introducing a 9% water rate increase for 2007, with similar increases expected for the foreseeable future. Miller's administration argues that the money is needed to fix aging water and sewer pipes.
In March 2007, Miller unveiled a plan to reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2020, and by 80% in 2050 (based on a 1990 baseline). Miller has argued that the plan is viable, and is based on similar initiatives in the European Union
.
, USA, through a contract with the firm Republic Services. This arrangement was strongly criticized by politicians in both Michigan and Ontario, citing the undesirability and accidents of trucks passing through. Opponents argued that it would not be sustainable in the long term, with US politicians lobbying to close off the border to garbage exports, while the Southwestern Ontario Trash coalition of cities voiced concerns that they would be forced to bear Toronto's garbage in the event of a border closure. Some politicians, including John Tory and Dalton McGuinty, supported the option of local trash incineration as it would reduce dependence on landfill space. Miller opposed this, citing both cost concerns and a threat to the environment. He also reiterated his opposition to shipping Toronto's garbage to the Adams Mine
landfill near Kirkland Lake in Northern Ontario
. In 2005, Miller led the city in renewing its contract with Republic for five years.
In 2006, Miller spearheaded a decision for the City of Toronto to purchase Green Lane Environmental Ltd., a large landfill area near St. Thomas
in southwestern Ontario. It is believed that this purchase will solve Toronto's waste disposal problems for several years, as the city explores other options for the future. Council voted 26-12 to accept the plan. This was criticized by London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best
and provincial Minister of Colleges and Universities Chris Bentley
, as they received no notice of the deal, but they conceded that they could do little to block it.
On September 21, 2006, Toronto Star columnist Royson James
suggested that the city had received a better offer for the Green lane site one year earlier, and failed to act on it. Miller described James's accusation as "categorically false", acknowledging that the city received a conditional proposal in 2005 but denying that any formal offer was made or that a price was negotiated. He added that a deal would have been impossible, as the province had not granted its approval at the time. Green Lane has upheld Miller's version of events. This controversy notwithstanding, James has written in support of the Green Lane purchase. The deal was completed in December 2006, with Toronto paying $220 million for the site.
During Miller's tenure, Toronto has also expanded its Green Bin
recycling program, a composting project designed to reduce the amount of waste that Toronto ships to landfills. The project was initiated in Etobicoke in 2002, and the other areas of Toronto have been added since Miller's election as mayor. Green Bin became city-wide in October 2005 when North York
was included in the program. In marking the achievement, Miller described Toronto as "a North American leader in recycling and composting programs". Toronto currently recycles and composts 40% of the garbage collected by the city; it plans to increase this figure to 60% in 2010, and 100% in 2012.
Miller reiterated his opposition to trash incineration in the 2006 mayoral campaign
. The final legal hurdle to the Green Lane purchase was resolved in March 2007, and the deal was signed in early April.
Miller brought forward a series of measures to provide shelter and warmth for Toronto's homeless population during the winter months in 2004, including a decision to set up an emergency centre before Christmas. The shelter had 80 beds, and provided reference services. During the previous Lastman administration, the city had responded to specific emergencies rather than determining a strategy in advance.
In early 2005, Miller helped steer a motion through council which banned the homeless from sleeping in Nathan Phillips Square
. He said that the plan was intended as a "nudge" to push people in the direction of finding shelters, and added that no one would be arrested. The initiative entitled Streets to Homes also called for the creation of 1,000 new affordable housing units per year, and the creation of another emergency shelter. By December 2005, the city had helped 533 homeless find permanent apartments.
In May 2005, Miller's administration presided over the approval of 6,500 new units of housing on brownfield land near the Don River
. The project, originally called Ataratiri, had been delayed for 17 years. Two months later, Miller led council in creating a new committee to fast-track the approval of affordable housing. In February 2006, Miller began a comprehensive housing renewal project in Toronto's Regent Park
area.
In January 2007, Miller criticized an Ontario Municipal Board decision which allowed a high-rise project on Queen Street West. The area is known for art galleries and low-rent studios, and Miller has argued that high-rise construction will compromise the city's creative sector. He later introduced a motion directing staff to "pursue all available options" against the OMB's decision. The motion was passed by a vote of 33-11 in February 2007.
The provincial government of Dalton McGuinty
announced in February 2007 that it would make $392 million available for affordable housing. Toronto is expected to receive the largest share of the revenue.
In late 2005, Miller helped convince the city to invest $9.8 million in a new soccer-specific stadium
at Exhibition Place
, which was later named BMO Field
. In March 2006, he helped introduce an "historic" Wi-Fi
network to Toronto.
's federal administration in late 2003, claiming that Martin was the first Canadian Prime Minister
to directly address municipal issues. He endorsed the Martin government's "New Deal for Cities" plan in February 2004, and supported Martin's pledge to waive the Goods and Services Tax
for cities. He was a prominent supporter of the Martin government's 2005 budget, and argued against bringing down the minority Liberal government to force a summer election. In June 2005, Miller welcomed a federal commitment to provide $1.9 billion to Ontario municipalities over five years from federal gas tax revenues.
Miller convened a meeting of Canada's major urban mayors in January 2004, and argued at the summit that Canadian cities needed enhanced powers of governance to deal with a variety modern challenges. In September of the same year, Miller hosted a meeting of ten major city Canadian mayors, examining the issue of federal gas tax revenues.
In February 2004, Miller called for greater coordination between all three levels of government in overseeing patterns of immigration within Canada. In early 2005, the City of Toronto earmarked up to $5 million to assist about 2,000 refugees who were expected to arrive from tsunami-ravaged areas of Southeast Asia
.
Miller did not support any party in the 2004 federal election
, endorsing four individual candidates: New Democrats Peggy Nash
and Olivia Chow, and Liberals John Godfrey
and Borys Wrzesnewskyj
. In 2005, when federal Social Development Minister Ken Dryden
was planning a national childcare strategy, Miller spoke in favour of a system based around public delivery.
Miller endorsed only two candidates in the 2006 federal election
: Liberal John Godfrey and New Democrat Peggy Nash. Unsuccessful NDP candidate and former provincial MPP Marilyn Churley blamed Miller for withholding support from other New Democrats. According to one report, Churley briefly mused challenging him for mayor in 2006 before deciding not to do so http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2006-01-26/news_upfront.php. Miller supported Paul Martin's call for a total ban on handguns, and urged Martin to bring forward tougher bail conditions on persons accused of gun crimes.
Monte Solberg
of the Conservative Party met with Miller in June 2005, and told Miller that the Conservative Party would honour existing agreements for waterfront renewal if elected. Despite ideological differences, Miller commended Stephen Harper
, who was elected as Martin's successor in 2006, for taking urban issues seriously. Miller supported the appointment of Lawrence Cannon
as Minister for Communities in February 2006, and tried without success to persuade the Harper government against eliminating Canada's national child-care plan. He expressed mixed views about the Harper government's first budget, noting that it allowed Toronto to construct 1,000 units of affordable housing while also expressing concern about cuts to child-care spaces.
Miller formally launched a campaign for Canada's cities to receive one of six cents charged on every dollar under the existing Goods and Services Tax at the Toronto City Summit Alliance's Toronto Summit 2007. He has argued that the transfer will provide a reliable and permanent source of funding for cities. A website called www.onecentnow.ca has been set up to promote the campaign. Karen Stintz
and several other councillors criticized Miller for spending $100,000 on the program before it was debated on and approved by council, and suggesting that he was advancing his personal agenda. Miller's office argued that council approval was unnecessary for the initiative, as it had appeared in his campaign platform.
Federal Finance Minister
Jim Flaherty
has indicated that he does not support the proposal, stating that he would be "interested in reducing taxes for all Canadians and directly to Canadians, not through other governments." Liberal opposition leader Stéphane Dion
endorsed a permanent gas tax transfer to municipalities, but stopped short of endorsing Miller's GST proposal. Liberal MP John Godfrey
said the proposal needed to be further defined before any party would support it.
Critics of the one cent campaign said that it was losing support, citing declining petition signatures and no federal politicians on side, and suggested that residents have become desensitized to Miller's frequent calls for outside funding to fix the city's problems. Miller remained optimistic, saying that it was too early to judge the success of the program, and argued that the he had successfully put back on the agenda the idea that national success was linked to cities.
In early March 2007, the Harper government introduced a $1.5 billion plan to assist Toronto's public transit system and expand provincial highways. Miller welcomed the new revenue, saying that it was a step in the direction of permanent funding. Miller later described Harper's 2007 budget as a "step backwards", criticizing its lack of revenues for long-term transit funding and permanent infrastructure. Globe and Mail columnist John Barber, however, has noted that this was not echoed by other city mayors and described the One Cent Campaign as "wishful thinking". With Dalton McGuinty
's 2007 provincial budget also being similarly dismissive of Miller's demands, Barber suggested that the city could realistically solve its problems by making use of its new taxing powers.
In early May 2007, mayors from Canada's 22 largest cities gave their unanimous support to the one-cent plan.
Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion
initially expressed pessimism over Miller's 'One-cent now' campaign, stating that "I can assure you our citizens [of Mississauga] can’t point out to us where there’s a lot of waste. Toronto, unfortunately, has that situation, in which their citizens are saying it, as well as their board of trade has been saying it and even their own councillors are saying it". Denzil Minnan-Wong
compared the two mayors, saying "Hazel McCallion runs a tight ship. David Miller’s ship has leaks all over the place,” and some commentators suggested that Toronto would have a difficult time making a credible case to the federal government for funding. She unveiled her own plan known as 'Cities Now!' to get federal funding for municipal infrastructure. However, McCallion's proposal did not receive support during a meeting with fifteen regional mayors, and she agreed to support Miller's campaign.
During the 2008 federal election campaign Miller declared that the Green Party of Canada
was the only one to directly address city issues such as transit and infrastructure. He went on to say that he wasn't endorsing any particular party.
have generally been cordial, although the two governments have had disputes over finances. Miller argues that the former provincial government of Mike Harris
burdened the city with disproportionately high service costs, and has asked the provincial government to re-assume responsibility for some of these programs. As of 2007, Toronto pays $730 million for services that were provincial responsibilities before Harris came to power (Harris stated that the downloads were necessary to reduce the provincial deficit, and to compensate for reduced transfer payments from the federal government of Jean Chrétien
). McGuinty has shown some sympathy to Toronto's position, but has also argued that the city has not taken sufficient responsibility for its own budgetary shortfalls.
In early 2004, McGuinty told reporters that Miller's government had asked for more money in transfer payments than the province could provide. McGuinty's first budget, introduced later in the year, nevertheless honoured a commitment to provide municipalities including Toronto with a portion of gasoline taxes. Miller later criticized the McGuinty government's proposal to negotiate future projects with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario
rather than with individual municipalities, arguing that this would weaken Toronto's negotiating ability. John Gerretsen
, McGuinty's Municipal Affairs Minister
, argued that the AMO arrangement would still permit the province to negotiate with Toronto to specific issues. Under Miller's direction, Toronto withdrew from the AMO in 2005.
Miller had criticized the provincial government's previous authority over Toronto as constitutionally outdated and a barrier to economic growth, noting that simple changes like parking levies and tax-free transit passes needed approval from the provincial government. He gave his full support to the McGuinty government's City of Toronto Act
, which grants a variety of new powers to the city. In 2005, he wrote that the City of Toronto Act will "give the city freedom and flexibility to deliver services creatively and effectively", and that it "will essentially be Toronto's constitution". The act was formally proclaimed on January 1, 2007. Soon after, Toronto used its new powers to delegate local matters to community councils, and announced plans for a Lobbying Control Framework. Recently, Miller has used the Act to justify the $600,000 cost of hiring new staff for his office, saying that his position has increased responsibilities.
Miller strongly supported the McGuinty government's 2006 budget, which included an immediate $200 million boost for Toronto.
Miller later criticized the McGuinty government's 2007 budget. He supported the province's anti-poverty initiatives, but also argued that it was refusing to "pay its bills", and said that Toronto's budgetary problems were the result of $500 million in social service costs mandated by the provincial government. During a later discussion, provincial Finance Minister Greg Sorbara
declined to help the city to fix its $71 million shortfall, saying that "he doesn't have a mandate to fix this". Miller has since moved to have the city sue the province over the shortfall.
In February 2007, council endorsed Miller's lobbyist registry by a vote of 33-9. The new code applies to unions, except in discussions over contracts and health and safety issues.
Miller supports the current non-partisan system of municipal government in Toronto. He has opposed suggestions that party politics should be introduced, arguing that this would undermine the consensus nature of municipal government and "creat[e] a group of people who have a duty to oppose". Initially skeptical about the "strong-mayor system", where the mayor holds increased powers relative to other councillors, Miller endorsed a 2005 panel report which gave the mayor additional powers and created a formal city executive. He argued that Toronto needed to restructure itself before getting new powers from the province. Council endorsed the reforms in December 2005.
In May 2006, the provincial government passed legislation to extend municipal terms from three years to four. Miller supported the change, saying that municipal leaders need longer terms of office to carry out their mandate. In June 2006, he led council in approving a measure to permit the mayor to appoint heads of committees. He also introduced a new "Building A Great City website in 2006, allowing Torontonians to follow the development of key issues on city council.
Miller was profiled in the April 2006 edition of Vanity Fair
magazine, which praised his environmental record.
. David Crombie and former Ontario Premier David Peterson
were named as honorary co-chairs. Miller highlighted safety issues at his campaign launch, and criticized the federal Conservative government's plans to cancel the national gun registry. He received a qualified endorsement from the Toronto Star newspaper shortly before election day.
Miller's primary opponent was councillor Jane Pitfield
. Pitfield criticized city spending, and described Miller the "Billion Dollar Man" for overseeing spending increases of $1.3 billion since 2003. Miller responded that Toronto's share was only $275 million, with the remainder coming from the provincial and federal governments. He later described most of the spending as "new investment we've secured from provincial and federal government to meet the needs of our city in public transit, in housing, or the 58 new child care centres that we've opened in Toronto this month alone, in Toronto's poorest neighbourhoods".
to Etobicoke
. While making this announcement, he described the Toronto Port Authority as "a rogue agency that is not accountable to anyone" and renewed his criticism of the expanding island airport. His environmental strategy outlines a four-year neighbourhood beautification program in each of Toronto's neighbourhoods.
Miller called for more dedicated bus lines and increased light rapid transit, with a corresponding de-emphasis on subway construction. He has also called for a Universal Transit Pass (or "U-pass"), to encourage transit use among college and university students. He promised to continue to limit tax increases to the rate of inflation, and announced $13 million to improve community safety in thirteen troubled neighbourhoods.
In his campaign platform, released November 1, 2006, Miller promised 4,000 units of affordable housing, a mandatory lobbyist registry, and a further expansion of the green bin program into apartments and condominiums. He said that he would negotiate with the federal and provincial governments for a share of the Goods and Services Tax and Provincial Sales Tax, noting that a GST/PST transfer of only one cent would increase Toronto's annual revenues by $450 million. Miller also called for a National Transit Strategy to fund public transit in Canada's largest cities.
In late October 2006, Miller proposed that Toronto's 200,000 landed immigrants be permitted to vote in municipal elections. Pitfield later indicated her support for the proposal, and Provincial Municipal Affairs Minister John Gerretsen indicated his willingness to examine it after the election.
, a late entry in the contest, failed to provide a credible challenge. Miller defeated Pitfield 57% to 32% on election day, winning 42 of the city's 44 wards. He used his victory speech to make Toronto's case for a greater share of federal and provincial tax revenues.
, citing family reasons. An Ipsos Reid poll earlier that month revealed that almost 8 in 10 Torontonians wanted Miller replaced as mayor, over dissatisfaction at his handling of the 39-day municipal strike. Many of Miller's supporters had defected to other potential candidates, likely to be former Ontario Progressive Conservative
leader John Tory
or Deputy Premier George Smitherman
.
In early October 2010, Miller gave his endorsement to Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone
, who claimed that he was “no clone of David Miller”, but whose platform largely continued the status quo with Miller's policies, in contrast to the other mayoral candidates who advocated sweeping changes. Pantalone was lagging considerably behind Councillor Rob Ford
and former Ontario Deputy Premier George Smitherman
in polls, and Smitherman dismissed Miller’s support of Pantalone saying “If voters wanted the status quo, David Miller would still be in this race.” Miller has accused Ford and Smitherman of wanting to "tear down Toronto”, and suggested that Smitherman posed the greater danger as mayor.
Late in the campaign, Smitherman left a voice-mail with Miller to ask Pantalone to withdraw from the race but Miller never returned the call. (Back in the 2003 mayoral election, Smitherman had worked for the campaign of Barbara Hall
, which tried to persuade Miller to drop out of the race.)
Ford was elected mayor with 47.1% of the vote, while Smitherman and Pantalone finished second and third, with 35.6% and 11.7%, respectively.
The percentages are determined in relation to the total number of votes.
The 1991 results are taken from a Toronto Star
newspaper report on November 13, 1991, with 192 of 196 polls having reported. The final results were not significantly different. All other municipal results are taken from official summaries made available by the City of Toronto.
, and the federal data from Elections Canada
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician. He was the 63rd Mayor of Toronto and the second since the 1998 amalgamation
Amalgamation of Toronto
The amalgamation of Toronto was the creation of the current political borders of Toronto, Ontario, Canada after amalgamating, annexing, and merging with surrounding municipalities since the 18th century...
. He was elected to the position in 2003 for a three-year term and re-elected in 2006 for a four-year term. He entered politics as a member of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, although his mayoral campaign and terms in office were without any formal party affiliation. He did not renew his party membership in 2007.
On September 25, 2009 Miller announced that he would not seek a third term as mayor in the 2010 election
Toronto municipal election, 2010
The 2010 Toronto municipal election was held on October 25, 2010 to elect a mayor and 44 city councillors in Toronto, Canada. In addition, school trustees were elected to the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest and...
, citing family reasons. In 2011, Miller will assume a position with the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
as an advisor on urban issues.
Background
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His American father, Joe Miller, died of cancer in 1960, and his English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
mother Joan returned with her son to Thriplow
Thriplow
Thriplow is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, south of Cambridge. The village also gives its name to a former Cambridgeshire hundred.-History:...
, south of Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. Miller spent his earliest years in England before moving to Canada with his mother in 1967. He attended Lakefield College School
Lakefield College School
Lakefield College School is a coeducational boarding school located north of the village of Lakefield, Ontario, Canada.The school's motto is Mens Sana In Corpore Sano...
on a scholarship at the time Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
was a student there.
Miller completed a four-year undergraduate degree at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, graduating summa cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
in Economics in 1981. He earned a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law
University of Toronto Faculty of Law
Established in 1887, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law is one of the oldest professional faculties at the University of Toronto. The Faculty of Law is particularly renowned in the areas of corporate law, international law, law and economics, and legal theory.The law school has been...
in 1984 and became a partner at the prominent Toronto law firm of Aird & Berlis LLP
Aird & Berlis LLP
Aird & Berlis LLP , is a full-service Canadian law firm. It is located in the Bay Street financial district of Toronto and employs over 120 lawyers....
, specializing in employment, immigration law
Immigration law
Immigration law refers to national government policies which control the phenomenon of immigration to their country.Immigraton law, regarding foreign citizens, is related to nationality law, which governs the legal status of people, in matters such as citizenship...
and shareholder rights. He represented Toronto Islands
Toronto Islands
The Toronto Islands are a chain of small islands in the city of Toronto, Ontario. Comprising the only group of islands in the western part of Lake Ontario, the Toronto Islands are located just offshore from the city centre, and provide shelter for Toronto Harbour...
residents in a 1985 arbitration case while an articling student, and later described this experience as his introduction to municipal politics. He married fellow lawyer Jill Arthur in 1994. The pair have two children. Miller joined the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP) in 1985, and has a picture of former NDP leader Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
displayed on his office wall.
He first campaigned for the Metropolitan Toronto
Metropolitan Toronto
The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was a senior level of municipal government in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area from 1954 to 1998. It was created out of York County and was a precursor to the later concept of a regional municipality, being formed of smaller municipalities but having more...
council in 1991
Toronto municipal election, 1991
The 1991 Toronto municipal election was held on November 12, 1991 to elect councillors in Metropolitan Toronto, Canada, and mayors, councillors and school trustees in Toronto, York, East York, North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke....
, arguing that Toronto needed to improve its public transit system to establish itself as a world-class city. He lost to incumbent councillor Derwyn Shea
Derwyn Shea
Derwyn Shea is an Anglican Church of Canada clergyman and a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a municipal politician in the city of Toronto for 12 years, and sat as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 1999, representing the riding of...
. Miller was subsequently the NDP's candidate for Parkdale—High Park
Parkdale—High Park
Parkdale—High Park is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.Peggy Nash of the New Democratic Party was elected the Member of Parliament for the riding on May 2, 2011....
in the 1993 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, and finished fourth against Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
incumbent Jesse Flis
Jesse Flis
Jesse Philip Flis is a former Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1984, and from 1988 to 1997, as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.Flis was born in Fosston, Saskatchewan...
.
He did not renew his membership in the NDP when it expired in 2007, stating that he did not want to be seen as partisan when dealing with the provincial and federal governments.
Metro councillor
Miller campaigned for the Metro Toronto Council a second time in 1994Toronto municipal election, 1994
The 1994 Toronto municipal election was held in November 1994 to elect councillors in Metropolitan Toronto, Canada, and mayors, councillors and school trustees in Toronto, York, East York, North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke....
, and was elected for the High Park ward over former Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Andrew Witer
Andrew Witer
Andrew Witer is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 1988, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party....
and future cabinet minister
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
Tony Clement
Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
. Following the election, he was appointed to the Metro Planning and Transportation Committee, the Metro Anti-racism Committee, and the Board of Governors for Exhibition Place. He spoke against Metro's decision to cut $3 million from its staffing budget in early 1995, arguing that the resulting hardship for laid-off workers during a national recession would be "unconscionable".
The provincial government of Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
amalgamated several surrounding municipalities into the City of Toronto in 1997, with the stated intention of eliminating duplication of services and increasing efficiency. Miller argued that the decision to eliminate six local councils and establish a "megacity" was carried out without public approval. He proposed an alternate plan to fold the six local councils into the existing Metro council, but this received little support.
He campaigned for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
in 1996, running as the NDP candidate in York South to succeed outgoing party leader Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
. He was narrowly defeated by Liberal Party candidate Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's Minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada...
.
1997-2000
Miller was elected to the new City of Toronto council in the 1997Toronto municipal election, 1997
The 1997 Toronto municipal election was the first election held for offices in the amalgamated "megacity" of Toronto, Canada. The elections were administered by the old City of Toronto and its five suburbs within Metropolitan Toronto...
, winning one of the two seats in Ward 19, High Park. He was appointed to the Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
(TTC) after the election, and became a prominent ally of TTC chair Howard Moscoe
Howard Moscoe
Howard Moscoe was a city councillor in Toronto, Canada, representing Ward 15 in the western part of Eglinton-Lawrence. Among the most prominent and longest-serving councillors in the city, he is also known for an outspokenness which has landed him in controversy at times. Moscoe is a member of...
. He was also appointed to lead a twelve-member committee that studied the transition to amalgamated municipal services, and successfully advocated that Toronto City Hall rather than Metro Hall to be the permanent seat of the new government. Miller later served on a three-member committee that recommended changes to the municipal ward boundaries.
Miller issued a formal apology on behalf of the TTC in June 1999, following complaints about a subway advertisement by the Toronto police union that some believed depicted Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
s as criminals. The following year, he argued that the union's controversial "Operation True Blue" telemarketing campaign was creating a climate of intimidation for Toronto residents. Both Miller and his wife claimed that they had received threatening telephone calls during the 2000 municipal election
Toronto municipal election, 2000
The Toronto municipal election of 2000, dubbed "Toronto Vote 2000" was the municipal and school board election held in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada on November 13, 2000.Elections were held to elect:* the Mayor of Toronto,* councillors for each of Toronto's 44 wards,* trustees...
, after the police union listed his home telephone number in a campaign advertisement.
Miller became known as an advocate for waterfront parklands during his time on council. He supported several aspects of a 2000 report from Robert Fung of the Toronto Waterfront
Toronto waterfront
The Toronto waterfront is the lakeshore of Lake Ontario in the City of Toronto, Ontario in Canada. It spans 46 kilometres between the mouth of Etobicoke Creek in the west, and the Rouge River in the East. The entire lakeshore has been significantly altered from its natural glaciated state prior to...
Task Force, while criticizing the proposal to sell parkland near Exhibition Place for private development. He also opposed plans to construct a condominium near Toronto's High Park
High Park
High Park is a municipal park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It spans , and is a mixed recreational and natural park, with sporting facilities, cultural facilities, educational facilities, gardens, playgrounds and a zoo. One third of the park remains in a natural state, with a rare oak savannah ecology...
within his ward, instead supporting the construction of affordable housing for low-income residents.
Miller strongly opposed a plan by Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman
Mel Lastman
Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
to ship Toronto's garbage to the Adams Mine in Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
(the plan was ultimately defeated by council).
2000-2003
Following electoral redistribution, Miller was re-elected in 2000Toronto municipal election, 2000
The Toronto municipal election of 2000, dubbed "Toronto Vote 2000" was the municipal and school board election held in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada on November 13, 2000.Elections were held to elect:* the Mayor of Toronto,* councillors for each of Toronto's 44 wards,* trustees...
over fellow councillor Bill Saundercook
Bill Saundercook
Bill Saundercook was a city councillor in Toronto, Canada for Ward 13 Parkdale-High Park. He represented one of the two Parkdale—High Park wards. A teacher from a family of teachers, Saundercook holds a B.Ed., M.A. and M.Ed.-Background:...
in Ward 13, Parkdale-High Park. He was re-appointed to the TTC and sought election as its chair, but was passed over in favour of Brian Ashton
Brian Ashton (politician)
Brian Ashton was a city councillor in Toronto, Canada, representing Ward 36 Scarborough Southwest. He did not run for re-election in the 2010 municipal election and was succeeded by Gary Crawford.-Career:...
. In 2001, he expressed concern that the WheelTrans bus service for the disabled might be contracted out to the private sector.
Miller won the unanimous support of his colleagues in July 2001 for a motion requesting that the federal government approve the transfer of gasoline-tax revenues to Toronto's public transit system. He later suggested that Toronto's building revenues could be put toward priority spending rather than being stored in reserve accounts, arguing that the city's real estate boom would allow council to defer transit hikes and provide programs for children and the homeless. He was also a leading voice in exposing Toronto's MFP computer leasing scandal
Toronto Computer Leasing Inquiry
The Toronto Computer Leasing Inquiry was a judicial inquiry into allegations of conflict of interest, bribery and misappropriation of funds around computer leasing contracts entered into by Toronto, Ontario's municipal government in 1998 and 1999...
in 2001 and 2002, bringing to light several questionable lobbying practices at city hall.
As chair of the city's working group on immigrant and refugee issues, Miller introduced a mentorship program making it easier for recent immigrants to gain work experience in Toronto.
Miller was given an A+ grade and named the best councillor by Toronto Life
Toronto Life
Toronto Life is a monthly Canadian magazine about entertainment, politics and life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto Life also publishes a number of annual special interest guides about the city, including Home Decor, Stylebook, Eating & Drinking, Real Estate and Weddings. Established in 1966,...
magazine in November 2000 for his work on council. In April 2002, the Toronto Environmental Alliance
Toronto Environmental Alliance
The Toronto Environmental Alliance is a Canadian non-profit environmental organization. Formed in 1988, TEA provides an activist voice on environmental issues affecting Toronto.-Mandate:TEA's mandate is to promote a greener Toronto...
awarded him an "A" grade for his work on the TTC.
Mayor Mel Lastman and Miller had an adversarial relationship on council. This was exemplified during a May 2002 debate when Lastman yelled at Miller, "You will never be mayor of this city because you say stupid and dumb things!" Miller later remarked that the exchange was what encouraged him to run for mayor. Despite being council opponents, Lastman attended the funeral for Miller's mother.
Miller later became the most prominent opponent of Lastman's plan to build a $22 million bridge to the Toronto Island Airport. Supporters of the bridge argued that it would eliminate one of the world's shortest ferry rides, make airline service more efficient, and provide a financial benefit to the city. Miller argued that the bridge would prevent the city from revitalizing its waterfront, and asserted that the proposed deal put the interests of developers and lobbyists ahead of the public. The bridge became a major issue when he ran for mayor during the 2003 campaign.
2003 Mayoral campaign
Miller's plans to run for mayor were well-known around city hall in 2002, and there was little surprise when he formally declared his candidacy in January 2003. His earliest supporters included councillors Howard Moscoe, Sandra BussinSandra Bussin
Sandra Bussin was a politician in Toronto, Canada. She was a municipal councillor for Toronto City Council representing Ward 32, an area called the Beaches. From 2006 to 2010 she was Speaker of Toronto City Council.-Background:...
, Irene Jones
Irene Jones
Irene Jones is a former municipal councillor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A member of the social democratic New Democratic Party, she served on the Etobicoke and Toronto councils from 1988 until 2003, when she stood down to seek election to the provincial legislature.-Background:Jones was the...
and Anne Johnston
Anne Johnston
Anne Johnston was a longtime city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was first elected to Toronto City Council in 1972, and served until 1985 when she ran against incumbent Mayor Art Eggleton, but was defeated. In 1988 she was elected to Metro Toronto Council...
and urban planner Jane Jacobs
Jane Jacobs
Jane Jacobs, was an American-Canadian writer and activist with primary interest in communities and urban planning and decay. She is best known for The Death and Life of Great American Cities , a powerful critique of the urban renewal policies of the 1950s in the United States...
. He was later endorsed by councillors Olivia Chow
Olivia Chow
Olivia Chow is a Canadian New Democratic Party Member of Parliament and former city councillor in Toronto. She won the Trinity—Spadina riding for the New Democratic Party on January 23, 2006, becoming a member of the Canadian House of Commons. Most recently, she was re-elected in her riding for...
, Joe Pantalone
Joe Pantalone
Joe Pantalone is a former Canadian politician, city councillor for Ward 19, one of two wards in Trinity—Spadina. He served as deputy mayor under David Miller from 2003 to 2010...
and Brian Ashton
Brian Ashton (politician)
Brian Ashton was a city councillor in Toronto, Canada, representing Ward 36 Scarborough Southwest. He did not run for re-election in the 2010 municipal election and was succeeded by Gary Crawford.-Career:...
, public figures such as June Callwood
June Callwood
June Rose Callwood, was a Canadian journalist, author and social activist. She was born in Chatham, Ontario and grew up in nearby Belle River.-Early life and career:...
, Judy Rebick
Judy Rebick
Judy Rebick , arrived in Toronto at age 9, and is a Canadian journalist, political activist, and feminist.-Career:...
, Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Eleanor Atwood, is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is among the most-honoured authors of fiction in recent history; she is a winner of the Arthur C...
, Michael Ondaatje
Michael Ondaatje
Philip Michael Ondaatje , OC, is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian novelist and poet of Burgher origin. He is perhaps best known for his Booker Prize-winning novel, The English Patient, which was adapted into an Academy-Award-winning film.-Life and work:...
and Michele Landsberg
Michele Landsberg
Michele Landsberg, OC is an award-winning Canadian writer, social activist and feminist who wrote a column for the Toronto Star newspaper.-Life and career:...
, American environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Canadian Union of Public Employees
Canadian Union of Public Employees
The Canadian Union of Public Employees is a Canadian trade union serving the public sector - although it has in recent years organized workplaces in the non-profit and para-public sector as well...
and the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters Association. The Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
newspaper, journalist Royson James
Royson James
Royson James is the municipal affairs columnist of the Toronto Star, a major metropolitan newspaper in Toronto, Ontario. Before becoming a columnist, he worked at the Toronto Star covering municipal politics in Scarborough, North York and Metropolitan Toronto, and later served on the newspaper's...
and councillors Raymond Cho and Michael Walker
Michael Walker (politician)
Michael Walker was the City Councillor in Toronto, Canada, for Ward 22 from 1982 to 2010. Ward 22 is bounded on the north by Eglinton Avenue and Broadway Avenue, on the east by Bayview Avenue, on the west by Spadina Avenue, and on the south by Moore Avenue and along the North Toronto Rail...
also endorsed Miller near the end of the campaign.
Miller's campaign organization was diverse. As well as support from many New Democrats and social activists, his top campaign strategists included veteran Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
John Laschinger and Liberal Peter Donolo
Peter Donolo
Peter Donolo is a political strategist and former Chief of Staff to former Liberal Party of Canada leader Michael Ignatieff. From 1993-99, he was the Director of Communications in the office of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien....
. Architect Jack Diamond
Jack Diamond (architect)
A.J. "Jack" Diamond, OC, O.Ont is a Canadian architect.Born in Piet Retief, South Africa, he received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Cape Town in 1956. He received a Master of Arts degree in politics, philosophy and economics from Oxford University in 1958...
was also a co-chair of his campaign.
Miller used a broom
Broom
A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibers attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a variety of brush with a long handle. It is commonly used in combination with a dustpan....
as a prop in this campaign, symbolizing his commitment to cleaning up Toronto both literally, in terms of litter, and metaphorically, arguing that there were shady deals at City Hall. He pledged to cancel the airport bridge, appoint a municipal ethics commissioner, and promote public transit by fully implementing the TTC's ridership growth plan. He supported a police request to hire thirty-two new officers, and opposed rival candidate John Tory
John Tory
John Howard Tory is a Canadian businessman, political activist, former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, former Member of Provincial Parliament and broadcaster...
's plans for trash incineration in favour of continuing garbage shipments to Michigan.
At one stage in the campaign, Miller raised the possibility of collecting tolls on the Don Valley Parkway
Don Valley Parkway
The Don Valley Parkway is a controlled-access six-lane municipal expressway in Toronto connecting the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto with Ontario Highway 401, the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway. North of Highway 401, it continues as Ontario Highway 404. The parkway runs through...
and Gardiner Expressway
Gardiner Expressway
The Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway, colloquially referred to as "the Gardiner", is a municipal expressway in the Canadian province of Ontario, connecting downtown Toronto with its western suburbs...
. After criticism from other candidates, including John Tory who described it as "Highway Robbery", Miller dropped the suggestion. During another debate, when John Nunziata
John Nunziata
John Nunziata is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 2000, initially as a Liberal and later as an independent member.-Background:...
denied that he tried to introduce a private member's bill to ban abortion, Miller produced a copy of Nunziata's proposed legislation to contradict him.
At the start of the campaign in early 2003, Barbara Hall
Barbara Hall
Barbara Hall is a Canadian lawyer, public servant and former politician. She was the 61st mayor of Toronto, the last to run before amalgamation. She was elected mayor of the pre-amalgamation City of Toronto in 1994, and held office until December 31, 1997...
led by a wide margin, with John Nunziata
John Nunziata
John Nunziata is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 2000, initially as a Liberal and later as an independent member.-Background:...
a distant second, while Miller and Tory initially had support in single digits. Miller's polling numbers stalled around 12-13% for most of 2003, but increased in October when front-runner Hall suddenly lost much of her support. He first led a city-wide poll on 22 October 2003, scoring 31% support against 29% for Hall and 23% for John Tory.
Hall's support continued to dissipate, and she fell to a distant third. The final stage of the campaign was between Miller and Tory, who each had a base of solid support; Miller among urban residents and progressives, while Tory was backed by the suburbs and conservatives. Days before the vote, prominent Hall supporters Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
and Kyle Rae
Kyle Rae
Kyle Rae is a former Canadian politician. He was a city councillor for Ward 27 Toronto Centre-Rosedale in Toronto, Ontario from 1991 to 2010. Rae is now a self-described consultant.-Politics:...
acknowledged that she could not win, and encouraged her supporters to vote for Miller over Tory. Miller defeated Tory 43% to 38% (Hall was third with 9%), and appointed Jane Jacobs and former Toronto Mayor David Crombie to chair his transition team.
Mayor
Miller's election campaign was based on two key issues: stopping the bridge to the Island airport and cleaning up city hall. His first promise was quickly met, while the second is more complex and has only partially been fulfilled.Miller's first term as mayor focused on issues such as waterfront
Shore
A shore or shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In Physical Oceanography a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past and present, while the beach is at the edge of the shore,...
renewal, public transit and municipal reform. He also shifted toward a focus on community safety issues following an increase in gun violence
Gun violence
Gun violence defined literally means the use of a firearm to threaten or inflict violence or harm. Gun violence may be broadly defined as a category of violence and crime committed with the use of a firearm; it may or may not include actions ruled as self-defense, actions for law enforcement, or...
during 2005. Many of Miller's initiatives did not come to fruition within his first few years as mayor. Supporters pointed out they were centred on long-term development goals, while detractors criticized the pace of change.
Toronto City Centre Airport Bridge
Soon after his election, Miller led the council to reverse its support for the Toronto City Centre AirportToronto City Centre Airport
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport , commonly known as the Toronto Island Airport is an airport located on the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is named after Air Marshal Billy Bishop, a Canadian First World War flying ace...
Bridge. He argued that the bridge was detrimental to the regional environment, was unwanted by most local residents, and stood in the way of a more comprehensive renewal of the waterfront economy. Supporters of the bridge argued that it would make airline service more efficient, and provide a financial benefit. The vote, held on December 3, 2003, was 32-12 in favour of withdrawal. Afterwards, the federal government announced that it would withdraw its support for the project. There were subsequent threats of legal action against the City by the Toronto Port Authority
Toronto Port Authority
The Toronto Port Authority is a Canadian port authority responsible for management of the harbour of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, including the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport...
(TPA) and developer Robert Deluce
Robert Deluce
Robert J. Deluce is a Canadian airline executive. He is currently the president and CEO of regional airline Porter Airlines and a past airline executive with Air Ontario and other airlines.-Career:...
, but these were settled in 2005 when the federal government agreed to pay $35 million in compensation.
The federal payment was controversial for both supporters and opponents of Miller's administration. Liberal MP Tony Ianno
Tony Ianno
Tony Ianno, PC is a businessman and a former Canadian politician. He served as a Liberal Party of Canada MP representing Trinity-Spadina and Minister of Families and Caregivers .-Personal life:...
defended it as providing fair compensation to legitimate claimants, and saying that it invalidated Miller's pledge to cancel the bridge without incurring further expense. Miller's allies, including NDP leader Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
, argued that the payout was overly generous, and did not reflect the true costs of cancellation. Shortly after the settlement, Miller announced that he would seek the repayment of $27 million in back taxes from the Port Authority to the city.
Airport expansion
In early 2006, Robert Deluce announced the creation of a company called Porter AirlinesPorter Airlines
Porter Airlines is a regional airline headquartered at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Porter operates regularly scheduled flights between Toronto and locations in Canada and the United States using Canadian-built Bombardier Dash-8 Q 400...
that would start a commuter service at the Island Airport, with the planes built at Bombardier
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
's Downsview plant. It would provide travelers with direct flights to Toronto's city centre, which Pearson International
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
is currently unable to offer, as it is located 30 km away. Opponents of expansion argued that increased services would result in greater noise pollution
Noise pollution
Noise pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life...
for downtown residents, as well as preventing other economies from flourishing in the waterfront region. Miller argued that the city may soon have to face the choice of "an industrial or revitalized waterfront". Some supporters of expansion have suggested this is a false dichotomy, and have argued that expansion can be integrated with a larger revitalization plan. Deluce's proposal won support from both business interests and Canadian Auto Workers
Canadian Auto Workers
The Canadian Auto Workers is one of Canada's largest and highest profile social unions. While rooted in Ontario's large auto plants of Windsor, Brampton, Oakville, St...
leader Buzz Hargrove
Buzz Hargrove
Basil Eldon "Buzz" Hargrove, OC is the former National President of the Canadian Auto Workers trade union...
, who said it would create new jobs for workers in the region. A Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
report from early February 2006 indicated most Toronto residents opposed expansion.
In late September 2006, it was reported that Robert Deluce's REGCO (the parent company of Porter Airlines) received $20 million of the $35 million paid by the federal government. This payment assisted Deluce in starting his new airline, and opponents have charged that it was for all intents and purposes a federal subsidy. Miller described the payout as "totally improper".
Toronto Port Authority (TPA)
The bridge and airport debates are reflective of a more general division between Miller's administration and the TPA, the federal body created by former Liberal MP Dennis MillsDennis Mills
Dennis Joseph Mills is a Canadian businessman and former politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Toronto-Danforth in the east-end of downtown Toronto. He now sits on the board of directors of Magna International....
that controls the Toronto Island Airport. Miller called for the TPA to be either eliminated or significantly reformed, and has argued that more oversight powers should be granted to the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp., which is managed by all three levels of government. Miller himself joined the TWRC as a voting member in 2006.
The Harper government announced in May 2006 that it would conduct a review of the Port Authority, and scrutinize past decisions related to the bridge project. Former deputy minister of justice Roger Tassé was named to oversee the review. Miller described himself as "cautiously optimistic", although he later found it "very regrettable and very worrying" that federal Transport Minister
Minister of Transport (Canada)
The Minister of Transport is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's transportation regulatory and development department, Transport Canada...
Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon, PC is a Canadian politician from Quebec and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's former Quebec lieutenant. On October 30, 2008 he was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs...
appointed five members of the Port Authority executive before the report was complete. When the Tassé Report was released in November 2006, it defended the Port Authority's decision to sign a bridge contract just before the 2003 election, and described the $35 million payout to DeLuce as "reasonable". Miller dismissed the document as "not worth the paper it is written on", while MP Olivia Chow referred to it as a "total whitewash" and accused the Conservative government of doing a "complete about face" on the issue.
Expo 2015
In April 2005, Miller encouraged council to begin work on a bid to host the Expo 2015Expo 2015
Expo 2015 is the next scheduled Universal Exposition after Expo 2010, and will be hosted by Milan, Italy. On November 23, 2010, the event was officially announced by the Bureau of International Expositions, after that the BIE assembly in Paris had decided in favour of the Milanese candidature on...
world fair. He argued that the event would assist the city's plans for waterfront renewal, and would "show Toronto to the world". Council voted 37-2 to launch a bid in May 2006. The bid collapsed in November 2006, when the federal, provincial and municipal governments failed to reach agreement on who would cover potential losses. Miller refused to blame either level of government for the failed bid, although councillor Brian Ashton
Brian Ashton (politician)
Brian Ashton was a city councillor in Toronto, Canada, representing Ward 36 Scarborough Southwest. He did not run for re-election in the 2010 municipal election and was succeeded by Gary Crawford.-Career:...
argued that the province was mostly to blame.
Power plant
Miller and former TWRC chair Robert Fung have criticized the provincial government's plan to build a large power plant on Toronto's waterfront area, and have urged the province to build a smaller facility in its place. Premier Dalton McGuintyDalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
has argued that the plant will be necessary to meet Toronto's energy needs.
Other investments
In October 2005, Miller announced $70 million in waterfront investments over five years, dedicated toward new boardwalks, promenades, public places and related attractions. HtO, Toronto's first urban beach, was started in late 2005.Fiscal policy
Following his election, Miller appointed conservative councillor David SoknackiDavid Soknacki
David Soknacki is a former city councillor in Toronto, Canada. He represented one of the two Scarborough East wards.He moved to eastern Scarborough in 1963, and founded the Densgrove Park Community Association. He first ran for Scarborough city council in 1991, but lost to Frank Faubert...
as Toronto's budget chief. Although Miller and Soknacki are from different ideological backgrounds, they were political allies in managing the city's finances. Toronto's budget shortfall when Miller assumed office was $344 million. There was a general agreement among local politicians and political analysts that the city needed to increase its residential property tax base. Miller promised to hold such increases to 3% per year.
Miller's first budget
Budget of the municipal government of Toronto, 2004
The budget of the municipal government of Toronto, 2004 was approved in that year by the Toronto City Council. The following are gross and net figures in Canadian dollars from the operating budget . A figure in brackets denotes a surplus instead of a loss. All figures have been rounded to units...
was passed by city council in late April 2004, by a vote of 29-10. The city eliminated its previous shortfall while increasing spending by 6%, and keeping residential property taxes increases at 3% and business and industrial property taxes to 1.5% The city's total operating budget for the year was $6.7 billion.
Miller engaged in a scaled-back consultation process prior to delivering his second budget in 2005. Following months of difficult negotiations, the city passed a balanced budget by taking $19.8 million from its reserve funds. Soknacki acknowledged that this was a difficult decision, and Miller's administration argued that the provincial government had increased Toronto's budgetary difficulties by not providing $72.3 million for provincially-mandated social programs. During the late stages of negotiations, provincial Municipal Affairs Minister John Gerretsen
John Gerretsen
John Philip Gerretsen is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and a Minister in the Cabinet of Premier Dalton McGuinty.-Early life:...
suggested that the city could make up for its budgetary shortfall by raising property taxes above 3%. Miller rejected this advice. The total operating budget for the year was $7.1 billion, with residential property tax increases again held to 3% and business and industry property tax increases held to 1.5%. Increased funds were provided to policing, transit, parks and social programs. Miller and Soknacki argued that it was the best possible budget under the circumstances, although it was criticized by several right-wing councillors.
In late 2005, Miller endorsed a policy which shifted a portion of Toronto's property tax burden from businesses and commercial operators to homeowners. Acknowledging that this was a difficult decision, he argued that it was necessary to prevent an exodus of jobs from the city. The decision was endorsed by the Toronto Industry Network. Toronto's capital budget for 2006 was $1.3 billion, and was targeted toward such items as road repairs, police stations and recreation centres.
Miller clashed with Toronto Board of Trade President and CEO Glen Grunwald
Glen Grunwald
Glen Grunwald is currently the senior vice president for basketball operations of the New York Knicks of the NBA. He is best known as the former general manager of the Toronto Raptors, a role he filled from March 1998 until April 2004....
at a February 2006 budgetary consultation meeting, after Grunwald presented a number of policy measures designed to solve Toronto's budget shortfall. Grunwald's recommendations included reducing spending on non-priority items, increasing user fees, privatizing some services and implementing the auditor general's 800 suggestions. Miller criticized the suggestions as "poorly researched", and said that the Board of Trade presentation "didn't befit the role they have as city builders." Toronto Star columnist Royson James, suggested that Miller's response was disproportionately harsh, and may have alienated some business interests. Other critics have pointed out that a fiscal self-examination was long overdue, while provincial officials have been hesitant to agree with the city's requests for funding, arguing that "city hall has done too little to tighten its belt".
In January 2006, there were media reports that Toronto was facing a $532 million shortfall on its operating budget. To promote cost-cutting, Miller and Soknacki encouraged the city to adopt a "zero-based budgeting" approach, wherein all city departments begin with zero authorized funds and are required to defend all proposed expenditures. The city later announced a hiring freeze. Early fears of significant tax increases were allayed by significant provincial investment in the city. Led by Miller, council passed a $7.6 billion operating budget by a vote of 27-17, again holding residential tax increases to 3% and business tax increases to 1%. The budget contained new money to hire police officers and bus drivers.
David Soknacki did not run for reelection in 2006. After the election, Shelley Carroll
Shelley Carroll
Shelley Carroll is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada. She represents Ward 33 Don Valley East, one of the two Don Valley East municipal wards. She was formerly the Chair of the City's Budget Committee.-Background:...
was appointed as the city's new budget chief. The city introduced $7.8 billion operating budget with a 3.8% property tax increase in 2007; Miller argued that the increase was necessary for the city's expenses. Miller has also pushed for new municipal taxes (mostly "sin tax
Sin tax
A sin tax is a kind of sumptuary tax: a tax specifically levied on certain generally socially proscribed goods and services. These goods are usually alcohol and tobacco, but also include candies, soft drinks, fat foods and coffee, while services range from prostitution to...
es") and parking fees under the new City of Toronto Act.
Based upon a 2007 city report, Miller proposed imposing a $60 vehicle-registration tax and a 1.5 per cent land transfer tax, which would be expected to generate $354 million. He argued that the new measures were essential to sustaining the city's budget, without reducing services or raising property taxes. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Toronto Board of Trade were opposed, with the latter warning that the proposals would have a negative economic impact on businesses. Miller asserted that residents support the notion of increased taxes as long as the money is being used properly. A survey conducted by the Environics Research Group showed that 70 percent of respondents supported a cut in expenditures rather than new taxes. A similar number also preferred that the proposals to be debated in the 2010 municipal election before being implemented, as Miller did not mention new taxes during the 2006 campaign. On July 16, council voted 23-22 to defer debating the measures until after the October 2007 provincial election
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
. Miller denied that it was a personal defeat, while Councillor Case Ootes
Case Ootes
Case Ootes is a former city councillor in Toronto, Canada, for Ward 29 Toronto—Danforth. He represented one of the two Toronto—Danforth wards...
, who led the opposition to the measures, described it as a "wake-up call" to Miller that residents wanted spending curbed.
In the aftermath, Miller immediately proposed several drastic service cuts with the stated intention of saving $100 million from the operating budget. These measures included closing the Sheppard Subway line, cancelling underused bus routes, and scrapping renovations and extra staff to the mayor's office. Miller argued that these were the only responsible steps that Toronto could take to prevent a financial crisis. This drew criticism from several councillors and columnists, with provincial Finance Minister Greg Sorbara
Greg Sorbara
Gregory Sam "Greg" Sorbara, MPP a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Vaughan. Sorbara served as the Minister of Finance in the Ontario Liberal Party government of Premier Dalton McGuinty from 2003 to 2007.He resigned on October 11, 2005, following a police investigation involving...
attacking the cuts as "quick, perhaps poorly thought out decisions". While they acknowledged the city was faced with a significant budget crisis, they described Miller's announcements as a political ploy, citing his initial move to go to the media instead of calling special session to discuss the cuts, with Brian Ashton
Brian Ashton (politician)
Brian Ashton was a city councillor in Toronto, Canada, representing Ward 36 Scarborough Southwest. He did not run for re-election in the 2010 municipal election and was succeeded by Gary Crawford.-Career:...
suggesting that Miller was punishing councillors that did not support the new taxes.
Miller dismissed Ashton from the executive committee for being the lone member to vote for the deferral of the new taxes. The committee is part of the new "strong mayor" system where key issues are dealt with before being brought to full council. The stated intention was to streamline the decision-making process, but Ashton and Ootes have criticized Miller for treating it as a cabinet and limiting debate with the whole council. Ashton argued that Miller did little to persuade skeptical councillors and the public of the need for new taxes.
Under Miller's direction, City Manager Shirley Hoy implemented $34-million in service cuts to the 2007 budget in August 2007 without seeking council approval. Miller's spokesperson defended the move, saying "we’ve got a serious financial shortfall that has to be addressed". The North York and Etobicoke community councils passed motions, by 9-1 and 6-1 majorities respectively, asking Toronto council to stop its plan to close community centres on Mondays and delay the opening of ice rinks. The North York motion was tabled by David Shiner
David Shiner (politician)
David Shiner is a city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He represents ward 24, one of the two wards in Willowdale.-Background:He is the son of the late Esther Shiner, who served on the borough and later city council of the City of North York as alderman, and later as a member of the Board of...
, but two allies of the Mayor Howard Moscoe
Howard Moscoe
Howard Moscoe was a city councillor in Toronto, Canada, representing Ward 15 in the western part of Eglinton-Lawrence. Among the most prominent and longest-serving councillors in the city, he is also known for an outspokenness which has landed him in controversy at times. Moscoe is a member of...
and John Filion
John Filion
John Filion is a Toronto city councillor representing one of the two Willowdale wards, Ward 23 Willowdale.Filion attended York University and he graduated with a degree in journalism. He became a journalist specializing in education issues...
voted for it, with Shelley Carroll
Shelley Carroll
Shelley Carroll is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada. She represents Ward 33 Don Valley East, one of the two Don Valley East municipal wards. She was formerly the Chair of the City's Budget Committee.-Background:...
as the lone dissenter. Based upon interviews, a majority of councillors are expected to vote to reverse the controversial cuts at the next meeting scheduled for September 26. Ashton suggested that "[Miller]'s grip is slipping" and "It’s like the emperor is doing a slow striptease". An arbitrator later ruled that the library closures violated the collective bargaining agreement with the union.
Miller has since pushed to have the two tax measures implemented. An Environics Research Group for real estate and construction groups showing that 62% were against the measures, while 85% thought that the mayor's campaign at fairtaxes.ca either had no effect on their support for the new taxes or turned them against. Miller pointed out that two-thirds of 30,000 hits to the website were in favour of the plan. He also argued that at neighbourhood meetings, most initial questions were not about taxes but rather about service improvements. The measures were passed on Oct. 23, 2007 by a majority of 26 to 19 and 25 to 20.
Transit policy
Miller is a strong advocate for the Toronto Transit CommissionToronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
, the city's public transit system. He took part in negotiations with the federal and provincial governments during 2004, which resulted in one billion dollars in additional funding being allocated for the cash-strapped TTC over five years. The city also received an additional $70 million in up-front provincial funding in 2004 to forestall a fare increase.
In late 2004, the provincial government of Dalton McGuinty announced that it would provide $355 million in provincial gas tax revenues for the TTC over three years. Miller welcomed this investment, but later criticized the McGuinty government for including a planned cash bailout in early 2005 as part of its larger grant, rather than as a separate cash investment. Miller's first TTC operating budget in 2004 was $219 million.
With Miller's permission, the TTC approved a small fare increase in early 2005. The price of adult tickets and tokens was increased by ten cents, while adult cash fare was increased 25 cents. The TTC mitigated this change by introducing a weekly $30 pass that could be transferred among several users. TTC chair Howard Moscoe said that the rise was unfortunate, but argued that it was "basically an inflationary increase".
Miller endorsed the creation of a streetcar right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
along St. Clair Avenue
St. Clair Avenue
St. Clair Avenue is a major east-west street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was laid out in the late 18th century by the British as a concession road , north of Bloor Street and north of Queen Street....
, a six-lane arterial road
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
within the city, in accordance with the recommendations of the TTC ridership plan. The right-of-way project passed council by a vote of 36-7 in September 2004, but triggered some local opposition. Supporters argue that the project will make public transit more efficient, and set an important precedent for public transit expansion. Opponents, especially in the Dufferin Street
Dufferin Street
Dufferin Street is a major north-south street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a concession road, two concessions west of Yonge Street. The street starts at the foot of Lake Ontario, continues north to Toronto's northern boundary with some discontinuities and continues into York Region where it...
business community, have criticized the plan on the grounds that it will reduce customer parking during rush hour. Other opponents, including the Canadian Automobile Association
Canadian Automobile Association
The Canadian Automobile Association , commonly known as CAA, is a non-profit federation, founded in 1913, of nine clubs across Canada, providing roadside assistance service, a complete range of auto touring and leisure travel services, insurance services, and member discounts with preferred...
have argued that the right-of-way will increase automobile congestion, since the proposal bans left turns and may divert traffic to neighbourhood streets. Supporters have questioned this latter claim, pointing to the success of a previous right-of-way implemented on Spadina Avenue. Former Toronto mayor John Sewell
John Sewell
John Sewell, CM is a Canadian political activist and writer on municipal affairs; he was the mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 1978 to 1980.-Background:...
, a long-standing supporter of public transit, has emerged as a vocal opponent of the right-of-way plan.
A group called Save-Our-St. Clair (SOS) took its objections to the Ontario Superior Court in 2005, and won a panel ruling which forced a halt to the project in October. The city subsequently cited a potential bias on the part of one of the judges, and asked that the ruling be set aside. The panel voted 2-1 to recuse themselves in November 2005, and so overturned their previous decision. In February 2006, the Ontario Divisional Court ruled against SOS and gave the city authority to move forward with the project.
Miller also supports the creation of rapid transit bus service lines throughout the city, arguing that these will provide the benefits of subway travel at a much lower expense. He has promoted the TTC Ridership Growth Strategy, a plan which aims to increase ridership and reduce overcrowding.
Miller strongly criticized a one-day wildcat strike by TTC workers in late May 2006, describing the job action as "illegal, unlawful and absolutely unacceptable".
Miller endorsed the TTC's plan to purchase new subway cars from Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
, which awarded a contract for construction of the cars via a non-competitive bid. Some members of council criticized the deal, noting that other city departments require competitive bids on contracts of this size. They also cited a study from rival company Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
that its proposal could have saved the city up to $100 million (Bombardier officials have questioned this figure). Miller and TTC chair Howard Moscoe have argued that the Bombardier contract was awarded fairly, and that it will provide the city with both affordable subway cars and local parts-supply employment. Miller described the deal as "good for city taxpayers and good for Ontario". City council approved the deal in September 2006 by a vote of 25-18.
In November 2006, Miller suggested a parking lot surcharge to encourage public transit. He also proposed a Simcoe Street extension to provide a downtown link to the waterfront.
Miller is a member of the new Metrolinx (then known as Greater Toronto Transit Authority) in early 2007.
In mid-March 2007, Miller and TTC planners unveiled a fifteen-year plan to construct a light-rail network linking almost every neighbourhood within the city. The plan is conditional on funding from other levels of government. The government of Ontario has committed itself to funding two-thirds of the project. He has also announced a plan to build more than 1,000 kilometres of bike lanes by 2012.
Police budget
After assuming office, Miller became involved in the long-standing and polarizing debates over Toronto's police budget, the city's largest single expenditure. The city had previously approved several large increases for the police during Mel Lastman's tenure as mayor. The force's 2004 request was for $691.4 million, an increase of $57 million from the previous year. Municipal budget chief David SoknackiDavid Soknacki
David Soknacki is a former city councillor in Toronto, Canada. He represented one of the two Scarborough East wards.He moved to eastern Scarborough in 1963, and founded the Densgrove Park Community Association. He first ran for Scarborough city council in 1991, but lost to Frank Faubert...
initially requested that the police cut $14.2 million from their request, a figure which police chief Julian Fantino
Julian Fantino
Julian Fantino is a retired police official and the elected Member of the Parliament of Canada for the riding of Vaughan following a November 29, 2010 by-election...
argued would jeopardize essential services. After a lengthy and sometimes heated debate, the council voted 40-5 on April 21, 2004 to approve a police budget of $679.1 million.
Police spending has increased by $117 million under Miller's administration, and 450 new officers have been put on the streets. In November 2006, Miller stood with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Dalton McGuinty to announce tougher bail conditions for persons accused of gun crimes. Miller and McGuinty both support Harper's plan for a "reverse-onus" provision, in which persons accused of gun crimes will be required to demonstrate why they should not be held in custody before a trial. Harper has rejected Miller's call for a ban on handguns.
Later in the year, Miller became involved in a labour dispute between the Police Services Board and the Toronto Police Association. The board, led by councillor Pam McConnell
Pam McConnell
Pam McConnell is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada for Ward 28 which is one of the two Toronto Centre wards.She was a teacher before entering politics by being elected as a school board trustee in 1982. She held that position until 1994. She played a prominent role in advocating for adult...
, wanted to save revenue by clawing back existing rates of retention pay and eliminating lunch-hour pay for officers on inactive duty during compressed shifts. The police association argued that the proposals would cause an exodus of officers and result in lower pay for officers working compressed schedules. After a series of acrimonious meetings, negotiations broke down and the association entered a work-to-rule
Work-to-rule
Work-to-rule is an industrial action in which employees do no more than the minimum required by the rules of their contract, and follow safety or other regulations to the letter in order to cause a slowdown rather than to serve their purpose. This is considered less disruptive than a strike or...
campaign by refusing to patrol or hand out fines.
During the course of this dispute, the association printed full-page advertisements in the Toronto Star and Toronto Sun asking the mayor to become personally involved through his role as a board member. It also issued an open letter which asked if Miller wanted to be remembered "as the mayor who was tough on crime, or the mayor who was tough on cops". On October 31, Miller informed the media that he was working to bring both sides together. A tentative deal was signed in early November, with reports that board had compromised on retention pay. One published report suggests that Ralph Lean, a leading Miller fundraiser, played an instrumental role in ending the dispute through private negotiations with former Association head Craig Bromell
Craig Bromell
Craig Bromell is a Canadian radio personality. Prior to his broadcast career, Bromell served as president of the Toronto Police Association from 1997 to 2003. In that position, he was often at odds with the two chiefs of police during his tenure, Julian Fantino and David Boothby...
.
Chief Fantino
In June 2004, the deadlocked Toronto Police Services Board voted not to renew Fantino's contract as chief. The next month, city council rejected a motion from Fantino's supporters which sought to overturn the decision. The mayor's position was that a full council debate on the matter would have violated the Police Services Act. Miller's refusal to allow a debate drew criticism from the Toronto SunToronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
who ran a cartoon comparing Miller to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. (The paper's editor apologized after Miller and the Canadian Jewish Congress
Canadian Jewish Congress
The Canadian Jewish Congress was one of the main lobby groups for the Jewish community in the country, although it often competed with the more conservative B'nai Brith Canada in that regard. At its dissolution, the president of the CJC was Mark Freiman. Its past co-presidents were Sylvain Abitbol...
condemned the cartoon.)
Former councillor Rob Davis
Rob Davis (Ontario politician)
Rob Davis is a Canadian politician. He served on the York city council from 1991 to 1997, and was a member of the Toronto City Council from 1997 to 2000.-Background:...
led a protest march in support of Fantino. Some journalists and Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara
Greg Sorbara
Gregory Sam "Greg" Sorbara, MPP a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Vaughan. Sorbara served as the Minister of Finance in the Ontario Liberal Party government of Premier Dalton McGuinty from 2003 to 2007.He resigned on October 11, 2005, following a police investigation involving...
, whose government shortly afterwards appointed Fantino as Commissioner of Emergency Management, speculated that Miller played an influential behind-the-scenes role in the board's decision not to renew Fantino's contract. Miller denied this, saying that he would have preferred the board to reserve any decision until September.
In early 2005, Miller argued that Fantino's replacement as Chief of Police should revamp the city's scheduling practices. He argued that the existing system was designed for the convenience of officers living outside of Toronto, and should be revised to permit more officers on the streets during important periods. The following month, he unexpectedly sided with the Toronto Police Association against the Toronto Police Services Board in opposing mandatory drug testing for officers.
In March 2005, Miller asked of the Police Services Board that he be granted a participatory role in the selection of the next police chief. He argued that he could provide "a voice that represents all Torontonians rather than that of a particular stakeholder", and said that he would recuse himself from formal deliberations and the final decision. Board member Case Ootes
Case Ootes
Case Ootes is a former city councillor in Toronto, Canada, for Ward 29 Toronto—Danforth. He represented one of the two Toronto—Danforth wards...
responded that the mayor's request amounted to political interference, and said there was "some contradiction" between the request and Miller's earlier refusal to engage in public debate over Fantino's removal. The Board turned down Miller's request. By way of compromise, he was allowed to see the board's shortlist of candidates and propose interview questions for applicants.
Fantino was succeeded on a temporary basis by Mike Boyd, a retired deputy chief who had worked closely with Miller when the latter was still a councillor. In April 2005, the board chose Bill Blair
Bill Blair (police chief)
William Sterling "Bill" Blair, is the police chief of Toronto, Ontario. He was selected in a 4–2 vote of the Toronto Police Services Board in early April 2005, and formally appointed Chief of the Toronto Police Service on April 26, 2005. He succeeded Mike Boyd, who had served as interim chief...
as Fantino's permanent replacement. There was some media speculation that the mayor's office would have preferred Boyd for the position, though Miller denied this. In an effort to move beyond previous hostilities, Miller awarded Fantino with the Key to the City on April 14, 2005. During the ceremony, Miller described Fantino as "a man of integrity who has done tremendous work to help keep Toronto safe."
Miller indicated that he would take a seat on the Police Services Board halfway through his first term, and replaced Ootes during the city's mid-term shuffle of positions in May 2005. Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone
Joe Pantalone
Joe Pantalone is a former Canadian politician, city councillor for Ward 19, one of two wards in Trinity—Spadina. He served as deputy mayor under David Miller from 2003 to 2010...
indicated that Ootes was replaced because his right-wing policy views were inconsistent with the aims of Miller's administration.
Anti-crime measures
In February 2004, Miller introduced an anti-crime package highlighted by increased community outreach programs and job opportunities for at-risk youth. He also appointed Ontario Chief Justice Roy McMurtryRoy McMurtry
Roland "Roy" McMurtry, OC, OOnt is a judge and former politician in Ontario, Canada and the current Chancellor of York University.-Early life:McMurtry was born in Toronto and educated at St. Andrew's College, graduating in 1950...
to head a panel on gun-related crime in the city. Fantino described Miller's plan as "holistic", and gave it his support. Some councillors expressed concern that the measures would not be effective against serious criminals, and Etobicoke
Etobicoke, Ontario
Etobicoke is a dissolved municipality located within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the western section of the current city, it had an official population of 338,117 as measured by the 2001 Census and 334,491 people as of the 2006 Census. While it only contains 13% of...
councillor Doug Holyday
Doug Holyday
Doug Holyday is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada, who represents Ward 3 which is part of Etobicoke Centre, He is also Deputy Mayor of Toronto.Holyday has lived his entire life in Etobicoke, and was a successful businessman before entering political life....
suggested that Miller should instead lobby the federal government for tougher laws. Nonetheless, council unanimously approved Miller's plan on 1 March 2004.
After a series of gang-related shootings in summer 2005, Miller argued that lax American gun laws were creating unsafe conditions in Toronto. He noted that half the firearms in Toronto originated in America. The mayor also announced that most of a $4.3 million police budget surplus would go toward hiring 150 new officers. He had previously opposed hiring large numbers of new officers when campaigning for mayor, at a time when gang-related shootings in the city were fewer and less pronounced.
Some journalists noted similarities between Miller's revised policy and that proposed by John Tory in 2003. Miller also called upon Toronto's business leaders to target street crime by providing jobs for unemployed youth; one year later, he was able to report increased hirings in both the public and private sectors. Some councillors, including Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson (Canadian politician)
Michael Thompson is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada. He represents Ward 37, the western half of Scarborough Centre. Raised in Scarborough he has a BA in Economics from Concordia University. He is a Black Canadian....
, suggested that Miller waited too long before reacting to reports of increased violence.
Corruption
In April 2004, a small number of Toronto officers were charged with aiding figures connected to the Hells AngelsHells Angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a worldwide one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Their primary motto...
biker gang. Shortly thereafter, Miller was overheard saying "Is your police force in jail? Mine is." in a private aside to the Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
, who was in Toronto to announce a new partnership between the cities. Miller explained that he made the comment in order to introduce the scandal to his guest, following an awkward press scrum
Media scrum
A media scrum is an impromptu press conference, often held immediately outside an event such as a legislative session or meeting. Scrums play a central role in Canadian politics and also occur in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand....
which the Lord Mayor walked away from after several questions about the local controversy. He later apologized, saying "the allegations are serious and I shouldn't have referred to them with humour". After the mayor's initial comment, Fantino was quoted on the CablePulse 24
CablePulse 24
CablePulse24 ' is a Canadian English language Category A specialty news channel owned and operated by Bell Media. Based in Toronto, it focuses on local news from the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario, although it also covers national and international news...
program The Chief as saying, "I feel like someone has driven a stake through my heart". He later accepted Miller's apology.
Immigration
In February 2006, the Toronto Police Services Board unanimously supported a policy to have officers refrain from asking witnesses and victims of crime about their immigration status. The purpose of this policy change was to ensure that illegal immigrants will not be intimidated from reporting serious crimes to the police. Both Miller and Blair supported the policy.Crime
Miller and Blair also opposed efforts by the Guardian AngelsGuardian Angels
The Guardian Angels is a non-profit international volunteer organization of unarmed citizen crime patrollers. The Guardian Angels organization was founded February 13, 1979 in New York City by Curtis Sliwa and has chapters in 15 countries and 144 cities around the world.Sliwa originally created the...
vigilante group to establish a base in Toronto. Their opposition failed to stop the Angels, who have since initiated patrols in the city.
A poll taken by Ipsos-Reid
Ipsos-Reid
Ipsos Reid is a research company based in Canada and is the Canadian arm of the global Ipsos Group. Founded in Winnipeg in 1979, the company expanded across the country and became part of the Ipsos Group in 2000....
in October 2005 showed that the mayor, council, police and judges all received low to middling grades from the Toronto public in their handling of increased gang activity. The poll gave Police Chief Bill Blair and the Toronto Police Services a C average grade, followed by community leaders (C-), Miller (D+), city council (D), the Attorney General of Ontario (D), and the judges and justices of the Peace (D).
Environmental policy
Shortly after assuming office, Miller introduced a $3 million "clean and beautiful" city initiative to involve ordinary Torontonians in the cleanup of their city. A more comprehensive plan was subsequently introduced and approved by council later in the year, allocating an extra $21 million over three years to pay for various cleanups. The "clean and beautiful" project was allocated $6.4 million in 2005, with much of the money directed toward projects such as litter pickup and cleanups of neglected public space.Miller announced in May 2004 that Toronto would install over 2,000 energy-efficient traffic signal lights. He also endorsed the Deep lake water cooling
Deep lake water cooling
Deep lake water cooling uses cold water pumped from the bottom of a lake as a heat sink for climate control systems. Because heat pump efficiency improves as the heat sink gets colder, deep lake water cooling can reduce the electrical demands of large cooling systems where it is available...
project, in which water from Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
is used to cool office buildings in downtown Toronto. In early 2005, he and Chicago Mayor
Mayor of Chicago
The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...
Richard M. Daley
Richard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
made a joint address to the Great Lakes Congressional Breakfast in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Miller was the first Canadian mayor to address the meeting.
A municipal "litter audit" in September 2006 found that the city was 40% cleaner from the previous year. The survey chose 298 random sites throughout the city, and measured the amount of litter in each area.
The City of Toronto is introducing a 9% water rate increase for 2007, with similar increases expected for the foreseeable future. Miller's administration argues that the money is needed to fix aging water and sewer pipes.
In March 2007, Miller unveiled a plan to reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2020, and by 80% in 2050 (based on a 1990 baseline). Miller has argued that the plan is viable, and is based on similar initiatives in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Garbage disposal
When Miller was elected mayor, Toronto's garbage had for several years been shipped to a landfill in MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, USA, through a contract with the firm Republic Services. This arrangement was strongly criticized by politicians in both Michigan and Ontario, citing the undesirability and accidents of trucks passing through. Opponents argued that it would not be sustainable in the long term, with US politicians lobbying to close off the border to garbage exports, while the Southwestern Ontario Trash coalition of cities voiced concerns that they would be forced to bear Toronto's garbage in the event of a border closure. Some politicians, including John Tory and Dalton McGuinty, supported the option of local trash incineration as it would reduce dependence on landfill space. Miller opposed this, citing both cost concerns and a threat to the environment. He also reiterated his opposition to shipping Toronto's garbage to the Adams Mine
Adams Mine
Adams Mine is an abandoned open pit iron ore mine located in the Boston Township of the District of Timiskaming, south of Kirkland Lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the Canadian Shield....
landfill near Kirkland Lake in Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
. In 2005, Miller led the city in renewing its contract with Republic for five years.
In 2006, Miller spearheaded a decision for the City of Toronto to purchase Green Lane Environmental Ltd., a large landfill area near St. Thomas
St. Thomas, Ontario
St. Thomas is a city in southern , Ontario, Canada. It is the seat for Elgin County and gained its city charter on March 4, 1881.-History:...
in southwestern Ontario. It is believed that this purchase will solve Toronto's waste disposal problems for several years, as the city explores other options for the future. Council voted 26-12 to accept the plan. This was criticized by London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best
Anne Marie DeCicco-Best
Anne Marie DeCicco-Best was the 60th mayor of London, Ontario, Canada.DeCicco graduated from Fanshawe College's broadcast journalism program in 1986 and worked for CHYR in Leamington, Ontario, before returning in 1987 to work at CJBK and CJBX, a country music station in London as a reporter...
and provincial Minister of Colleges and Universities Chris Bentley
Chris Bentley
For the Canadian politician, see Christopher Bentley.Chris Bentley is a Rugby Union Player for Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership. He made his debut in 2004 against London Welsh. His position of choice is Lock-External links:*...
, as they received no notice of the deal, but they conceded that they could do little to block it.
On September 21, 2006, Toronto Star columnist Royson James
Royson James
Royson James is the municipal affairs columnist of the Toronto Star, a major metropolitan newspaper in Toronto, Ontario. Before becoming a columnist, he worked at the Toronto Star covering municipal politics in Scarborough, North York and Metropolitan Toronto, and later served on the newspaper's...
suggested that the city had received a better offer for the Green lane site one year earlier, and failed to act on it. Miller described James's accusation as "categorically false", acknowledging that the city received a conditional proposal in 2005 but denying that any formal offer was made or that a price was negotiated. He added that a deal would have been impossible, as the province had not granted its approval at the time. Green Lane has upheld Miller's version of events. This controversy notwithstanding, James has written in support of the Green Lane purchase. The deal was completed in December 2006, with Toronto paying $220 million for the site.
During Miller's tenure, Toronto has also expanded its Green Bin
Green bin
A green bin is a short, rigid container used to collect biodegradable waste or compostable materials as a means to divert waste from landfills. In some localities green bins are also used to contain unsorted municipal waste...
recycling program, a composting project designed to reduce the amount of waste that Toronto ships to landfills. The project was initiated in Etobicoke in 2002, and the other areas of Toronto have been added since Miller's election as mayor. Green Bin became city-wide in October 2005 when North York
North York, Ontario
North York is a dissolved municipality within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the central part of the northern section of Toronto. As of the 2006 Census, it has a population of 635,370. The official 2001 census count was 608,288...
was included in the program. In marking the achievement, Miller described Toronto as "a North American leader in recycling and composting programs". Toronto currently recycles and composts 40% of the garbage collected by the city; it plans to increase this figure to 60% in 2010, and 100% in 2012.
Miller reiterated his opposition to trash incineration in the 2006 mayoral campaign
Toronto municipal election, 2006
The 2006 Toronto municipal election took place on 13 November 2006 to elect a mayor and 44 city councillors in Toronto, Ontario. In addition, school trustees were elected to the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest...
. The final legal hurdle to the Green Lane purchase was resolved in March 2007, and the deal was signed in early April.
Housing policy
Miller convened a summit on affordable housing in late February 2004, bringing in representatives from all three levels of government. As the summit was formally convened, he secured $24 million in funding from the provincial government to construct more than 900 units of housing for low-to-middle income earners. Council voted later in the year to approve $13.6 million for new housing projects, amounting to 312 new homes. Miller's housing advisor, Sean Goetz-Gadon, argued in 2004 that Toronto could accommodate 10,000 subsidized housing units for both the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless.Miller brought forward a series of measures to provide shelter and warmth for Toronto's homeless population during the winter months in 2004, including a decision to set up an emergency centre before Christmas. The shelter had 80 beds, and provided reference services. During the previous Lastman administration, the city had responded to specific emergencies rather than determining a strategy in advance.
In early 2005, Miller helped steer a motion through council which banned the homeless from sleeping in Nathan Phillips Square
Nathan Phillips Square
Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza that forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and named for Nathan Phillips, mayor of Toronto from 1955 to 1962. The square opened in 1965, and, as with the City Hall, the square was...
. He said that the plan was intended as a "nudge" to push people in the direction of finding shelters, and added that no one would be arrested. The initiative entitled Streets to Homes also called for the creation of 1,000 new affordable housing units per year, and the creation of another emergency shelter. By December 2005, the city had helped 533 homeless find permanent apartments.
In May 2005, Miller's administration presided over the approval of 6,500 new units of housing on brownfield land near the Don River
Don River (Toronto)
The Don River is one of two rivers bounding the original settled area of Toronto, Ontario along the shore of Lake Ontario, the other being the Humber River to the west. The Don is formed from two rivers, the East and West Branches, that meet about north of Lake Ontario while flowing southward into...
. The project, originally called Ataratiri, had been delayed for 17 years. Two months later, Miller led council in creating a new committee to fast-track the approval of affordable housing. In February 2006, Miller began a comprehensive housing renewal project in Toronto's Regent Park
Regent Park
Regent Park is a neighbourhood located in Old Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Regent Park is Canada's oldest and largest social housing project; built in the late 1940s. Formerly the centre of the Cabbagetown neighbourhood, it is bounded by Gerrard Street East to the north, River Street to the east,...
area.
In January 2007, Miller criticized an Ontario Municipal Board decision which allowed a high-rise project on Queen Street West. The area is known for art galleries and low-rent studios, and Miller has argued that high-rise construction will compromise the city's creative sector. He later introduced a motion directing staff to "pursue all available options" against the OMB's decision. The motion was passed by a vote of 33-11 in February 2007.
The provincial government of Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
announced in February 2007 that it would make $392 million available for affordable housing. Toronto is expected to receive the largest share of the revenue.
Culture
Miller created a new Toronto Film Board in November 2004 to improve the economic prospects of the city's multi-billion dollar film industry. He was himself designated as the board's chair, and convened its first meeting in February 2005. Toronto also received $500,000 from the federal government for cultural spending in 2005, and Miller led Toronto in hosting a year-long festival of the arts in 2006. He introduced "Toronto Unlimited" as Toronto's new promotional slogan in the summer of 2005.In late 2005, Miller helped convince the city to invest $9.8 million in a new soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
at Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place is a mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The 197–acre area includes expo, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments, parkland, sports facilities, and a number of civic, provincial,...
, which was later named BMO Field
BMO Field
BMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
. In March 2006, he helped introduce an "historic" Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
network to Toronto.
Federal government
Miller welcomed the arrival of Paul MartinPaul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
's federal administration in late 2003, claiming that Martin was the first Canadian Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
to directly address municipal issues. He endorsed the Martin government's "New Deal for Cities" plan in February 2004, and supported Martin's pledge to waive the Goods and Services Tax
Goods and Services Tax (Canada)
The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...
for cities. He was a prominent supporter of the Martin government's 2005 budget, and argued against bringing down the minority Liberal government to force a summer election. In June 2005, Miller welcomed a federal commitment to provide $1.9 billion to Ontario municipalities over five years from federal gas tax revenues.
Miller convened a meeting of Canada's major urban mayors in January 2004, and argued at the summit that Canadian cities needed enhanced powers of governance to deal with a variety modern challenges. In September of the same year, Miller hosted a meeting of ten major city Canadian mayors, examining the issue of federal gas tax revenues.
In February 2004, Miller called for greater coordination between all three levels of government in overseeing patterns of immigration within Canada. In early 2005, the City of Toronto earmarked up to $5 million to assist about 2,000 refugees who were expected to arrive from tsunami-ravaged areas of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
.
Miller did not support any party in the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, endorsing four individual candidates: New Democrats Peggy Nash
Peggy Nash
Peggy A. Nash is a Canadian labour official and politician from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is the New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the Parkdale—High Park electoral district in Toronto, and was the Official Opposition's Finance Critic, in Canada's 41st parliament...
and Olivia Chow, and Liberals John Godfrey
John Godfrey
John Ferguson Godfrey, PC is a Canadian educator, journalist and former Member of Parliament.- Education :He was born in Toronto, Ontario. His father, Senator John Morrow Godfrey , was a Canadian pilot, lawyer and politician. John Godfrey graduated from Upper Canada College in 1960...
and Borys Wrzesnewskyj
Borys Wrzesnewskyj
Borys Wrzesnewskyj is a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Etobicoke Centre in the Canadian House of Commons in the 38th, 39th and 40th Parliaments. He is a member of the Liberal Party.-Background:...
. In 2005, when federal Social Development Minister Ken Dryden
Ken Dryden
Kenneth Wayne Dryden, PC, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former NHL goaltender. Dryden is married with two children and four grandchildren and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame...
was planning a national childcare strategy, Miller spoke in favour of a system based around public delivery.
Miller endorsed only two candidates in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
: Liberal John Godfrey and New Democrat Peggy Nash. Unsuccessful NDP candidate and former provincial MPP Marilyn Churley blamed Miller for withholding support from other New Democrats. According to one report, Churley briefly mused challenging him for mayor in 2006 before deciding not to do so http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2006-01-26/news_upfront.php. Miller supported Paul Martin's call for a total ban on handguns, and urged Martin to bring forward tougher bail conditions on persons accused of gun crimes.
Monte Solberg
Monte Solberg
Monte Kenton Solberg, PC is a former Canadian Member of Parliament, representing the riding of Medicine Hat in the Canadian House of Commons as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He was the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development...
of the Conservative Party met with Miller in June 2005, and told Miller that the Conservative Party would honour existing agreements for waterfront renewal if elected. Despite ideological differences, Miller commended Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, who was elected as Martin's successor in 2006, for taking urban issues seriously. Miller supported the appointment of Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon, PC is a Canadian politician from Quebec and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's former Quebec lieutenant. On October 30, 2008 he was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs...
as Minister for Communities in February 2006, and tried without success to persuade the Harper government against eliminating Canada's national child-care plan. He expressed mixed views about the Harper government's first budget, noting that it allowed Toronto to construct 1,000 units of affordable housing while also expressing concern about cuts to child-care spaces.
Miller formally launched a campaign for Canada's cities to receive one of six cents charged on every dollar under the existing Goods and Services Tax at the Toronto City Summit Alliance's Toronto Summit 2007. He has argued that the transfer will provide a reliable and permanent source of funding for cities. A website called www.onecentnow.ca has been set up to promote the campaign. Karen Stintz
Karen Stintz
Karen Stintz is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada. She represents Ward 16, one of two municipal wards enclosed within the federal-provincial riding of Eglinton—Lawrence....
and several other councillors criticized Miller for spending $100,000 on the program before it was debated on and approved by council, and suggesting that he was advancing his personal agenda. Miller's office argued that council approval was unnecessary for the initiative, as it had appeared in his campaign platform.
Federal Finance Minister
Minister of Finance (Canada)
The Minister of Finance is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's budget...
Jim Flaherty
Jim Flaherty
James Michael "Jim" Flaherty, PC, MP is Canada's Minister of Finance and he has also served as Ontario's Minister of Finance. From 1995 until 2005, he was the Member of Provincial Parliament for Whitby—Ajax, and a member of the Progressive Conservative Party caucus...
has indicated that he does not support the proposal, stating that he would be "interested in reducing taxes for all Canadians and directly to Canadians, not through other governments." Liberal opposition leader Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
endorsed a permanent gas tax transfer to municipalities, but stopped short of endorsing Miller's GST proposal. Liberal MP John Godfrey
John Godfrey
John Ferguson Godfrey, PC is a Canadian educator, journalist and former Member of Parliament.- Education :He was born in Toronto, Ontario. His father, Senator John Morrow Godfrey , was a Canadian pilot, lawyer and politician. John Godfrey graduated from Upper Canada College in 1960...
said the proposal needed to be further defined before any party would support it.
Critics of the one cent campaign said that it was losing support, citing declining petition signatures and no federal politicians on side, and suggested that residents have become desensitized to Miller's frequent calls for outside funding to fix the city's problems. Miller remained optimistic, saying that it was too early to judge the success of the program, and argued that the he had successfully put back on the agenda the idea that national success was linked to cities.
In early March 2007, the Harper government introduced a $1.5 billion plan to assist Toronto's public transit system and expand provincial highways. Miller welcomed the new revenue, saying that it was a step in the direction of permanent funding. Miller later described Harper's 2007 budget as a "step backwards", criticizing its lack of revenues for long-term transit funding and permanent infrastructure. Globe and Mail columnist John Barber, however, has noted that this was not echoed by other city mayors and described the One Cent Campaign as "wishful thinking". With Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
's 2007 provincial budget also being similarly dismissive of Miller's demands, Barber suggested that the city could realistically solve its problems by making use of its new taxing powers.
In early May 2007, mayors from Canada's 22 largest cities gave their unanimous support to the one-cent plan.
Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion
Hazel McCallion
Hazel McCallion, née Joueneaux, CM is the mayor of Mississauga, Ontario. McCallion has been Mississauga's mayor for years, holding office since 1978...
initially expressed pessimism over Miller's 'One-cent now' campaign, stating that "I can assure you our citizens [of Mississauga] can’t point out to us where there’s a lot of waste. Toronto, unfortunately, has that situation, in which their citizens are saying it, as well as their board of trade has been saying it and even their own councillors are saying it". Denzil Minnan-Wong
Denzil Minnan-Wong
Denzil Minnan-Wong is a Toronto city councillor representing one of the two Don Valley East wards, Toronto City Council Ward 34. He is the son of Denzil Minnan-Wong, Sr., a Chinese immigrant who became a prominent member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. His father died in 1988 at...
compared the two mayors, saying "Hazel McCallion runs a tight ship. David Miller’s ship has leaks all over the place,” and some commentators suggested that Toronto would have a difficult time making a credible case to the federal government for funding. She unveiled her own plan known as 'Cities Now!' to get federal funding for municipal infrastructure. However, McCallion's proposal did not receive support during a meeting with fifteen regional mayors, and she agreed to support Miller's campaign.
During the 2008 federal election campaign Miller declared that the Green Party of Canada
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
was the only one to directly address city issues such as transit and infrastructure. He went on to say that he wasn't endorsing any particular party.
Provincial government
Miller's relations with the provincial government of Dalton McGuintyDalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
have generally been cordial, although the two governments have had disputes over finances. Miller argues that the former provincial government of Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
burdened the city with disproportionately high service costs, and has asked the provincial government to re-assume responsibility for some of these programs. As of 2007, Toronto pays $730 million for services that were provincial responsibilities before Harris came to power (Harris stated that the downloads were necessary to reduce the provincial deficit, and to compensate for reduced transfer payments from the federal government of Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
). McGuinty has shown some sympathy to Toronto's position, but has also argued that the city has not taken sufficient responsibility for its own budgetary shortfalls.
In early 2004, McGuinty told reporters that Miller's government had asked for more money in transfer payments than the province could provide. McGuinty's first budget, introduced later in the year, nevertheless honoured a commitment to provide municipalities including Toronto with a portion of gasoline taxes. Miller later criticized the McGuinty government's proposal to negotiate future projects with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario
Association of Municipalities of Ontario
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario is a non-profit organization representing municipal and regional governments in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created on June 22, 1972 through a merger of the Ontario Municipal Association and the Ontario Association of Mayors and Reeves...
rather than with individual municipalities, arguing that this would weaken Toronto's negotiating ability. John Gerretsen
John Gerretsen
John Philip Gerretsen is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and a Minister in the Cabinet of Premier Dalton McGuinty.-Early life:...
, McGuinty's Municipal Affairs Minister
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Ontario)
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is responsible for municipal affairs and housing in the Canadian province of Ontario.The current Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing in the Ontario cabinet is Kathleen Wynne.-Former Ministers:...
, argued that the AMO arrangement would still permit the province to negotiate with Toronto to specific issues. Under Miller's direction, Toronto withdrew from the AMO in 2005.
Miller had criticized the provincial government's previous authority over Toronto as constitutionally outdated and a barrier to economic growth, noting that simple changes like parking levies and tax-free transit passes needed approval from the provincial government. He gave his full support to the McGuinty government's City of Toronto Act
City of Toronto Act
City of Toronto Act is the name of a series of different acts of parliament that have governed the organization and political powers of the city since Toronto's original incorporation as a city in 1834.-Incorporation of the City of Toronto, 1834:...
, which grants a variety of new powers to the city. In 2005, he wrote that the City of Toronto Act will "give the city freedom and flexibility to deliver services creatively and effectively", and that it "will essentially be Toronto's constitution". The act was formally proclaimed on January 1, 2007. Soon after, Toronto used its new powers to delegate local matters to community councils, and announced plans for a Lobbying Control Framework. Recently, Miller has used the Act to justify the $600,000 cost of hiring new staff for his office, saying that his position has increased responsibilities.
Miller strongly supported the McGuinty government's 2006 budget, which included an immediate $200 million boost for Toronto.
Miller later criticized the McGuinty government's 2007 budget. He supported the province's anti-poverty initiatives, but also argued that it was refusing to "pay its bills", and said that Toronto's budgetary problems were the result of $500 million in social service costs mandated by the provincial government. During a later discussion, provincial Finance Minister Greg Sorbara
Greg Sorbara
Gregory Sam "Greg" Sorbara, MPP a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Vaughan. Sorbara served as the Minister of Finance in the Ontario Liberal Party government of Premier Dalton McGuinty from 2003 to 2007.He resigned on October 11, 2005, following a police investigation involving...
declined to help the city to fix its $71 million shortfall, saying that "he doesn't have a mandate to fix this". Miller has since moved to have the city sue the province over the shortfall.
Political reforms
Miller appointed David Mullan as Toronto's first Integrity Commissioner in July 2004. In the same month, he brought forward a motion calling for council to ban corporate and union donations to municipal candidates. He later introduced a comprehensive plan to restructure Toronto's bureaucracy, highlighted by the elimination of three $200,000 a year positions. In making the changes, Miller described Toronto's existing bureaucracy as "incomprehensible to Torontonians" and in need of reform. The package passed council by a vote of 33-9. Miller tried to create a mandatory lobbyist registry in September 2006, but council voted to refer the matter for further study.In February 2007, council endorsed Miller's lobbyist registry by a vote of 33-9. The new code applies to unions, except in discussions over contracts and health and safety issues.
Miller supports the current non-partisan system of municipal government in Toronto. He has opposed suggestions that party politics should be introduced, arguing that this would undermine the consensus nature of municipal government and "creat[e] a group of people who have a duty to oppose". Initially skeptical about the "strong-mayor system", where the mayor holds increased powers relative to other councillors, Miller endorsed a 2005 panel report which gave the mayor additional powers and created a formal city executive. He argued that Toronto needed to restructure itself before getting new powers from the province. Council endorsed the reforms in December 2005.
In May 2006, the provincial government passed legislation to extend municipal terms from three years to four. Miller supported the change, saying that municipal leaders need longer terms of office to carry out their mandate. In June 2006, he led council in approving a measure to permit the mayor to appoint heads of committees. He also introduced a new "Building A Great City website in 2006, allowing Torontonians to follow the development of key issues on city council.
Media coverage
In early 2004, Miller re-introduced an hour-long call-in television show called The Mayor on CablePulse 24. A staff member at the station commented on the difference between the Miller's show and that of his predecessor: "with Miller you receive answers to questions. Lastman's show was just a circus." In the same year, filmmaker Andrew Munger released In Campaign: The Making of A Candidate as a behind-the-scenes look at Miller's 2003 campaign.Miller was profiled in the April 2006 edition of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
magazine, which praised his environmental record.
2006 mayoral campaign
Miller reassembled his first mayoral campaign team for his 2006 re-election bid. John Laschinger and Peter Donolo returned in prominent roles, joined by new figures such as Ralph Lean and John Ronson as fundraisers, Dan Tisch as communications chair, and other prominent supporters such as Patrick Gossage, Jane Pepino and Michael Lewis, the brother of Stephen LewisStephen Lewis
Stephen Henry Lewis, is a Canadian politician, broadcaster and diplomat. He was the leader of the social democratic Ontario New Democratic Party for most of the 1970s. During many of the those years as leader, his father David Lewis was simultaneously the leader of the Federal New Democratic Party...
. David Crombie and former Ontario Premier David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
were named as honorary co-chairs. Miller highlighted safety issues at his campaign launch, and criticized the federal Conservative government's plans to cancel the national gun registry. He received a qualified endorsement from the Toronto Star newspaper shortly before election day.
Miller's primary opponent was councillor Jane Pitfield
Jane Pitfield
Jane Pitfield was a Toronto city councillor, representing one of the two Don Valley West wards. She ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Toronto in 2006.-Personal life:...
. Pitfield criticized city spending, and described Miller the "Billion Dollar Man" for overseeing spending increases of $1.3 billion since 2003. Miller responded that Toronto's share was only $275 million, with the remainder coming from the provincial and federal governments. He later described most of the spending as "new investment we've secured from provincial and federal government to meet the needs of our city in public transit, in housing, or the 58 new child care centres that we've opened in Toronto this month alone, in Toronto's poorest neighbourhoods".
Policies
Miller outlined his waterfront renewal plan in October 2006, highlighted by 750 acres (3 km²) of new public spaces and parks from ScarboroughScarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
to Etobicoke
Etobicoke, Ontario
Etobicoke is a dissolved municipality located within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the western section of the current city, it had an official population of 338,117 as measured by the 2001 Census and 334,491 people as of the 2006 Census. While it only contains 13% of...
. While making this announcement, he described the Toronto Port Authority as "a rogue agency that is not accountable to anyone" and renewed his criticism of the expanding island airport. His environmental strategy outlines a four-year neighbourhood beautification program in each of Toronto's neighbourhoods.
Miller called for more dedicated bus lines and increased light rapid transit, with a corresponding de-emphasis on subway construction. He has also called for a Universal Transit Pass (or "U-pass"), to encourage transit use among college and university students. He promised to continue to limit tax increases to the rate of inflation, and announced $13 million to improve community safety in thirteen troubled neighbourhoods.
In his campaign platform, released November 1, 2006, Miller promised 4,000 units of affordable housing, a mandatory lobbyist registry, and a further expansion of the green bin program into apartments and condominiums. He said that he would negotiate with the federal and provincial governments for a share of the Goods and Services Tax and Provincial Sales Tax, noting that a GST/PST transfer of only one cent would increase Toronto's annual revenues by $450 million. Miller also called for a National Transit Strategy to fund public transit in Canada's largest cities.
In late October 2006, Miller proposed that Toronto's 200,000 landed immigrants be permitted to vote in municipal elections. Pitfield later indicated her support for the proposal, and Provincial Municipal Affairs Minister John Gerretsen indicated his willingness to examine it after the election.
Results
Miller consistently led Jane Pitfield in public opinion polls during the campaign, usually by significant margins. Stephen LeDrewStephen LeDrew
Stephen Ralph LeDrew is currently hosting CP24 Live at Noon, plus he is a Toronto-based lawyer and broadcast commentator. He served as President of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1998 to 2003, and was a Mayor of Toronto candidate in the 2006 municipal election.-Legal career:As a lawyer, LeDrew...
, a late entry in the contest, failed to provide a credible challenge. Miller defeated Pitfield 57% to 32% on election day, winning 42 of the city's 44 wards. He used his victory speech to make Toronto's case for a greater share of federal and provincial tax revenues.
2010 election
On September 25, 2009 Miller announced that he would not seek a third term as mayor in the 2010 electionToronto municipal election, 2010
The 2010 Toronto municipal election was held on October 25, 2010 to elect a mayor and 44 city councillors in Toronto, Canada. In addition, school trustees were elected to the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest and...
, citing family reasons. An Ipsos Reid poll earlier that month revealed that almost 8 in 10 Torontonians wanted Miller replaced as mayor, over dissatisfaction at his handling of the 39-day municipal strike. Many of Miller's supporters had defected to other potential candidates, likely to be former Ontario Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
leader John Tory
John Tory
John Howard Tory is a Canadian businessman, political activist, former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, former Member of Provincial Parliament and broadcaster...
or Deputy Premier George Smitherman
George Smitherman
George Smitherman is a Canadian politician and broadcaster. He represented the provincial riding of Toronto Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2010, when he resigned to contest the mayoralty of Toronto in the 2010 municipal election...
.
In early October 2010, Miller gave his endorsement to Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone
Joe Pantalone
Joe Pantalone is a former Canadian politician, city councillor for Ward 19, one of two wards in Trinity—Spadina. He served as deputy mayor under David Miller from 2003 to 2010...
, who claimed that he was “no clone of David Miller”, but whose platform largely continued the status quo with Miller's policies, in contrast to the other mayoral candidates who advocated sweeping changes. Pantalone was lagging considerably behind Councillor Rob Ford
Rob Ford
Robert Bruce "Rob" Ford is the 64th and current Mayor of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was first elected to city council in the 2000 Toronto municipal election, and was re-elected to his council seat in 2003 and again in 2006...
and former Ontario Deputy Premier George Smitherman
George Smitherman
George Smitherman is a Canadian politician and broadcaster. He represented the provincial riding of Toronto Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2010, when he resigned to contest the mayoralty of Toronto in the 2010 municipal election...
in polls, and Smitherman dismissed Miller’s support of Pantalone saying “If voters wanted the status quo, David Miller would still be in this race.” Miller has accused Ford and Smitherman of wanting to "tear down Toronto”, and suggested that Smitherman posed the greater danger as mayor.
Late in the campaign, Smitherman left a voice-mail with Miller to ask Pantalone to withdraw from the race but Miller never returned the call. (Back in the 2003 mayoral election, Smitherman had worked for the campaign of Barbara Hall
Barbara Hall
Barbara Hall is a Canadian lawyer, public servant and former politician. She was the 61st mayor of Toronto, the last to run before amalgamation. She was elected mayor of the pre-amalgamation City of Toronto in 1994, and held office until December 31, 1997...
, which tried to persuade Miller to drop out of the race.)
Ford was elected mayor with 47.1% of the vote, while Smitherman and Pantalone finished second and third, with 35.6% and 11.7%, respectively.
Post mayoral career
Following his term as mayor, Miller rejoined the law firm of Aird & Berlis LLP where he specializes in international business and sustainability. He splits his time between Toronto and Brooklyn, New York where he accepted a three-year appointment at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University as Future of Cities Global Fellow and will teach courses on finding technological solutions to urban problems.Municipal politics
Electors could vote for two candidates in the 1997 election.The percentages are determined in relation to the total number of votes.
The 1991 results are taken from a Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
newspaper report on November 13, 1991, with 192 of 196 polls having reported. The final results were not significantly different. All other municipal results are taken from official summaries made available by the City of Toronto.
Provincial and federal politics
The provincial electoral data is taken from Elections OntarioElections Ontario
Elections Ontario is a non-partisan Agency of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. They work under the Chief Electoral Officer, an officer of the Legislative Assembly. responsible for the conduct of provincial elections.-External links:*...
, and the federal data from Elections Canada
Elections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
.