Reacting to this morning’s announcement by Etobicoke North Councillor Rob Ford that he’s throwing his hat into the mayoralty race, George Smitherman says he doesn’t see Ford posing much of a threat to his aspirations of becoming Toronto’s next mayor.


“I think he’s much more likely to be taking the votes away from people that are to the right of me,” Smitherman said, after giving a noon-hour speech Thursday, March 25, about the health care system in the main lobby at the Rouge Valley Hospital’s Centenary site.

Smitherman added that Rocco Rossi should probably be concerned the most about the entry of Ford, a right wing candidate, into the race.
 He also said he doesn’t think his slice of the pie in terms of garnering votes is getting smaller with the growing number of contenders for mayor.

Ford, along with candidates Rossi and Giorgio Mammoliti, are promising to fix the city’s ballooning financial woes with their right-wing agendas, mainly through the privatization of city services. 
Smitherman, however, is seen to be somewhere in the middle of the political spectrum, and deputy mayor Joe Pantalone is currently the only clear contender vying solely for the left-wing vote.

Ford is known for his criticisms of overspending and the wasting of resources at city hall. 
Smitherman offered comment on whether Ford is gambling away his seat on council by trying to convince all Torontonians he’s right for mayor.

“That’s his choice,” he said, adding that he himself made a similar choice by giving up his seat in the provincial legislature, but that he wouldn’t refer to that as throwing it away.
Smitherman, who is the former Ontario deputy premier and minister of health, was invited by the Rouge Valley Hospital to talk about the province’s healthcare system.

He praised the hard work and dedication of the front-line workers at hospitals across the province, and underlined the value of local hospitals.

“I’m a firm believer that the best health care is the best you can find close to home,” he said.

- Brad Pritchard

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