CP24’s third mayoral debate actually has some fireworks

The five front-running mayoral candidates all gathered around CP24’s table last night to discuss Toronto’s most important issues: whether our buildings are pretty enough, whether Sarah Thomson has sufficient experience (relative to Rob Ford, natch) and whether the city’s taxes are really all that high. Things got a bit feisty, as Ford sounded positively Dubya-ish in his zeal to defend the behaviour of security forces during the G20: “Either you support the police or you don’t support the police here. This is black or white.” He also showed his ability to patronize like any political pro.

The Toronto Star has the rundown:

Thomson took aim at Ford, accusing him of wandering away from city council meetings and returning only to vote. She also accused him of being a part-time councillor. Ford has continued to work at his family’s multi-million-dollar label-and-tag business during his decade as councillor.

“You skip out to your other job and you take your fat paycheque with you. I’m tired of that,” Thomson said.

Ford shot back that Thomson is “a nice lady, but [has] zero political experience.”

Predictably, the other men at the table took the opportunity to prove their manners and demand an apology on behalf of Thomson.

While holding our breath waiting for that apology, we’ll be wondering where this side of Thomson came from—is this the same daydreamer-in-chief who’s struggled to get noticed? Picking a fight with Rob Ford over his family business is officially the most interesting thing she’s done all race.

Also, Adam Vaughan showed up to thank everyone for writing Stephen Harper and asking for money after the G20 (yet another thing for which we’ll be holding our breath). Aside from the fireworks, and the fact that between Stephen LeDrew, George Smitherman and Rocco Rossi the table looked like a meeting of the THX-1138 fan club, there wasn’t much learned at the debate.

• G20, Rob Ford’s record dominate mayoral debate [Toronto Star]
• CP24’s Third Mayoral Debate Teaches Us Nothing [Torontoist]
• Toronto mayoral candidates face off [Globe and Mail]
• Candidates yell over each other in third-debate free for all [National Post]
• Mayoral candidates face off in third CP24 debate [CP24 Toronto]

(Images: Pantalone, Ford, toronto.ca; Rossi, Rocco Rossi; Smitherman, OldTownGuy; Thomson, Joey Schwartz.)