It is notoriously difficult to get Canadians to pay attention to municipal elections. Voter participation in local elections pales in comparison to provincial and federal elections and the turn-out for by-elections is even more abysmal. There is, however, a real argument to be made for politicians – and not just those from Toronto – to pay close attention to the ongoing mayoral by-election in hogtown. It can provide substantial insight into the public’s opinions on how to best address some of the major issues currently facing the country.
After a number of highly publicized violent crimes, including the deaths of eight police officers in only seven months, Canadians are beginning to ask their elected officials questions about the state of public safety across the country. The Conservative party has begun to increasingly focus on a law-and-order message, repeatedly calling on the federal government to reform a bail system that they say has become too lenient. At the same time, party leader Pierre Poilievre has been outspoken about what he calls a “radical woke anti-police agenda” implemented by New Democrats and Liberals in cities across Canada.
The governing Liberals on the other hand have taken a more nuanced approach to crime in Canada, with Minister of Justice David Lametti arguing that these are “complicated issues” that have “no quick or easy solutions”. With continued pressure from the Conservatives, and legislative changes promised by the Liberals, it’s clear that public safety will continue to be a major factor in federal politics. What, though, is the politically expedient approach to take? Are Canadians looking for a tough on crime approach? Or do Canadians want leaders who understand that crime is a complex issue deserving of a nuanced response?
Here’s where the Toronto mayoral by-election comes into play.
Public safety has been the first policy announcement for almost every candidate in the race. Just like in federal politics, the approaches proposed by the front runner candidates vary. They range from a tough-on-crime/more-boots-on-the-ground approach to ones focused on addressing the social and economic drivers of crime. As a result, Toronto has become a three million person strong public opinion poll on approaches to public safety – one that federal politicians should not ignore.
Former Chief of Police Mark Saunders made a concerted effort to paint himself as the law-and-order candidate. He argued that Toronto has faced so much crime that it has begun to be normalized by the city’s residents and its leaders. He stated that as mayor he would considerably increase the number of special constables patrolling toronto public transit, as well as crack down on those loitering and disturbing public spaces in the city. City Councillor Brad Bradford took a similar approach. He argued that the city needs to increase the number of police and special constables riding the transit system. He has also stated that as mayor he would increase police patrols of identified “problem areas”.
City Councillor Josh Matlow also made public safety a central tenet of his mayoral campaign, but he took a different approach. He said the current approach to public safety isn’t working because the city is asking the Police to do too much. As mayor, Matlow promised that police would focus on solving crimes instead of providing community services. He would also properly resourcing community experts who can deal with mental health, addiction, homelessness and economic disadvantage. This would create opportunity and prevent crime.
With no political parties directly involved with the candidates, Torontonians can only judge candidates on their approaches to the major issues facing the city. Should Josh Matlow come out on top in the June election, especially if he is able to carry more far flung regions of the city, federal Liberals and the NDP can be a little more confident that a more nuanced approach to addressing crime in Canada is a viable electoral option. However, if Mark Saunders or Brad Bradford are successful in their mayoral bids, the Conservatives can be more assured that their framing of crime is a potentially winning strategy. That could potentially put Liberal held ridings in danger, and the Grits would be smart to take notice.
