Has Bradford’s moment finally arrived in Toronto?

Brad Bradford’s moment may finally have arrived.

After former Harper era Cabinet minister Chris Alexander dropped out of Toronto’s mayoral race last week, the polling gap between Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Councillor Brad Bradford has narrowed substantially. Most polls are now showing the incumbent mayor just a point or two ahead of her main rival. 

Bradford would represent a major refresh for a city that desperately needs it. 

Chow has been mayor for roughly three years. But under her watch, property taxes have grown by nearly 20 per cent. The city’s Jewish community doesn’t feel safe. Crime is on the rise. And infrastructure is still in a state of disrepair. 

Despite Chow’s high taxes, few residents feel that they’re better off than they were three years ago, let alone a decade ago. 

Chow’s entire campaign seems to now be focused on attacking Bradford as someone who will slash spending and social services, while Bradford is calling for a fundamental rethink at City Hall. 

For one thing, Bradford is calling for a line-by-line audit of city spending, something that hasn’t happened since the late Rob Ford was first elected mayor back in 2010. After all, Bradford argues, households review their spending all the time – why shouldn’t politicians? 

For another, Bradford hasn’t called for any explicit cuts to city services. Instead, he’s calling for a fundamental rethink of how Toronto actually delivers services to its residents. For example, Bradford wants to set up a Toronto Municipal Services Corporation to manage Toronto’s water and sewer infrastructure. Peel Region is about to do the very same thing as a means of saving taxpayers money and better managing infrastructure, but Chow is calling Bradford’s plan “a recipe for disaster.”

Bradford, hitting back at Chow, suggested in a recent debate that Chow is simply “out of ideas” and “doesn’t have a vision.” Chow, after all, was first elected back in 1985, when Bradford wasn’t even born. When it comes to a lack of new ideas, Bradford isn’t wrong in assessing Chow’s approach to politics. Chow has yet to roll out any new ideas, instead doubling down on the same kind of big-spending policies she’s been pushing since the 1980s. 

Interestingly, Bradford has been endorsed by both federal and provincial Liberals and Conservatives. He seems to be uniting a decent span of the ideological spectrum in calling for a change of approach at City Hall. Chow has continued to maintain her NDP base of support, as well as the support of some provincial and federal Liberals. 

This election in Toronto doesn’t just appear to be a battle between Chow and Bradford. It seems to be a generational battle for change. Chow, now 69, has been involved in politics for more than 40 years. Bradford, at just 40 years old, is youthful, energetic, and full of new ideas. He also only entered politics two election cycles ago. 

One voice many Torontonians want to hear from is Alexander’s. While he was only polling at roughly nine per cent, Alexander’s endorsement could carry significant weight in an election this tight. As a former Harper Cabinet minister, Alexander must realize what another four years of such a far-left regime would do to Toronto. He ought to do the right thing and come out in support of Bradford. 

With Toronto’s municipal election just two weeks away, it’s time for Torontonians to embrace change. Chow’s approach, reminiscent of the failed David Miller era, simply isn’t working. Voters should demand better, and that starts with new leadership at the top.