Should Rob Ford tell the public about any medical issues?

With city council on hiatus for the summer, last week’s big news was a mini mayoral health scare (Rob Ford spent two nights in the hospital after an allergic-reaction-turned-throat-infection set off his asthma). Ford’s office issued several updates, which prompted the Canadian Press to examine whether politicians ought to disclose their medical problems. At the cynical end of the spectrum is Bryan Evans, an associate professor of politics at Ryerson, who said the mayor’s bulletins were just a canny way to maximize media coverage and to humanize Ford by showing he shares the same kind of everyman problems as voters. On the other end is Globe and Mail columnist André Picard, who say leaders should divulge anything that could affect their ability to do their job—an idea firmly entrenched south of the border, where Barack Obama’s yearly checkups are released to the public.