QUOTED: Brad Duguid on laying the groundwork for John Tory’s possible mayoral run

“Most Torontonians recognize that the [Rob Ford] situation has gone beyond any measure of embarrassment and it is a low bar for the city. Never before has Toronto so needed a solid, ethical leader…John Tory is a quality, ethical guy with the ultimate integrity, who you can trust.”

—Ontario Training Colleges and Universities Minister Brad Duguid on why CivicAction chair and talk radio host John Tory should run for mayor of Toronto. Duguid was just one of about 60 people who attended a two-hour, pro-Tory campaign session on Bloor Street East this week to discuss what a post-Ford Toronto will look like. Apparently, attendees included current and former Conservative and Liberal cabinet ministers (like Duguid), NDP strategists, communications professionals and local activists from across Toronto’s suburbs and downtown. Tory, for his part, was in Montreal. “There are quite a few people who would like to see me run and who want to help,” Tory told the Toronto Star. “I heard there was a meeting, but I didn’t organize it, didn’t ask anyone to organize it and I wasn’t even in the city.” [Toronto Star]