In this image taken from Doug Holyday's Twitter account, Holyday and provincial PC leader Tim Hudak stand in front of a city-contracted GFL garbage truck during a provincial by-election campaign photo-op on Wednesday, July 25, 2013.
Toronto's Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday has come under fire for using a city-contracted vehicle for a photo-op as part of his campaign for a provincial by-election.
City councillor Peter Milczyn, who is Mr. Holyday's Liberal rival in the by-election, has filed a complaint with the integrity commissioner over the incident.
Mr. Holyday, the Progressive-Conservative candidate for the Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding, and provincial PC leader Tim Hudak held a news conference Wednesday that included a large city-contracted garbage truck prominently displayed. Mr. Hudak praised Mr. Holyday's efforts to contract out city services such as garbage collection.
"He's the kind of guy who protects the pocket of the taxpayer," Mr. Hudak said. "We need a guy like Doug Holyday to come into Queen's Park and clean up that mess."
The following morning, Mr. Milczyn announced he would be approaching the integrity commissioner and the lobbyist registrar to request an investigation into what he called a potential misuse of city resources.
"For someone who claims to have respect for the office he is elected to, it surprises me that Mr. Holyday would leverage his position as Deputy Mayor to Rob Ford for partisan purposes," said Mr. Milczyn.
Mr. Holyday's campaign manager, Christine Bujold, said the truck requested was one that was not in use and claimed no city resources were diverted. She said the move by Mr. Milczyn was a diversion tactic.
"It's an attempt to not talk about the cancellation of the gas plants, which we've been hearing a lot about. They're trying to change the channel on what's being discussed," Ms. Bujold said.