Mayoral debate more confusing than funny

We’re sure there was some real comedy and some real debate on Saturday, but none of it was at the mayoral debate, held at the Green Living Show. Because of the setting, the candidates all tried to out-green their rivals. Things got weird as Rocco Rossi claimed that selling Toronto Hydro was necessary to fund Transit City; George Smitherman accused Sarah Thomson of supporting Rossi’s sell-off (she denies it) and Rob Ford accused Smitherman of stealing his ideas. If the audience was confused, well, we can’t blame them.

The only moment of clarity came when third-place Joe Pantalone accused Ford of being “penny wise and pound foolish” for his plan to cut city council in half. Don’t look now, but it sounds like the short guy just made a fat joke.

• Hydro selloff ‘wrong,’ Smitherman says [Toronto Sun]
• Selling Hydro bad for environment, Smitherman says [Toronto Star]
• Toronto’s mayoral rivals come out swinging for public transit [Globe and Mail]