Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne meets with reporters May 21, 2013 at Queen's Park in Toronto on her 100th day in office.Moe Doiron/The Globe and Mail
Premier Kathleen Wynne says Mayor Rob Ford's "personal issues" need to be dealt with so Toronto can get on with important political matters.
Ms. Wynne and her government have chosen not to directly intervene since Mr. Ford's alleged smoking of crack cocaine threw city hall into chaos two weeks ago.
But the Premier has repeatedly expressed her concern about the effect of the allegations.
"There are undoubtedly some personal issues that need to be dealt with," she said Wednesday while touring an east end daycare. "There is confusion around exactly what the issues are and I know that the mayor is dealing with that."
However, she said that the city is still functioning despite the crisis.
"The work of the city is ongoing and, as I heard one councillor say this morning: it's not business as usual, but business is being done at the city of Toronto," she said. "I hope that the personal issues are resolved sooner rather than later and I encourage the city of Toronto to continue to do the work that is confronting it."
Since he was accused of using the drug, the embattled chief magistrate has fired his chief of staff – who is said to have urged him to enter rehab – seen two of his other staffers resign, had his office pulled into a police investigation and faced further allegations that another staffer sold quantities of hashish with his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, in the 1980s.
Mr. Ford and his brother have denied all of the drug allegations. It has never been established that Mr. Ford has any substance abuse problems.
Adrian Morrow