Premier Doug Ford says he’s voting for Mark Saunders in Toronto mayoral by-election

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he is voting for former Toronto police chief Mark Saunders in next week’s mayoral by-election, but he pledged to work with whoever wins the race, including frontrunner Olivia Chow.

Mr. Ford on Tuesday confirmed that he has a Saunders sign on the front lawn of his Etobicoke home in west Toronto. He said he will be voting in next Monday’s by-election for Mr. Saunders, a former Progressive Conservative candidate whom Mr. Ford previously appointed as a special adviser to the waterfront attraction Ontario Place.

“I’ve always said I’m staying out of the race. I have the right, like anyone else, to put a sign on my lawn. I put Mark’s sign on my lawn, I’m proud to have his sign on the lawn,” Mr. Ford told reporters in Carp, Ont., where he was making an unrelated announcement.

“I tell everyone I’ll be voting for Mark. But vote whoever you want to vote for. That’s your choice, that’s not up to me or anyone else to tell you who to vote for. That’s just my opinion, he’d be the best mayor.”

Mr. Ford, however, said he’s open to working with whoever wins the June 26 by-election, which was called after former mayor John Tory resigned earlier this year.

The Premier previously warned voters not to choose a “lefty” mayor, cautioning that it would be a “disaster” for the city. But on Tuesday, he said he would work with Ms. Chow, who opinion polls suggest has a wide lead.

“I’ll work with anyone. We go through the democratic process, she gets elected, I’ll work with her. And we’ll sit down and come up with common ground,” he said.

He said he also works well alongside former NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and former Liberal leader Steven Del Duca. Ms. Horwath is now the mayor of Hamilton, and Mr. Del Duca is mayor of Vaughan.

“I don’t care about political stripes, I want to do what’s best for the people. And hopefully the mayor will do what’s best for the people and not raise taxes, and attract businesses. That’s what I’m concerned about, keeping taxes low, creating jobs and attracting more businesses,” Mr. Ford said.

In a statement, Mr. Saunders said he’s pleased to have the Premier’s vote, and repeated his plea for voters to choose him to stop Ms. Chow from winning.

“I’m glad to have his vote! I encourage everyone in Toronto who doesn’t want Olivia Chow to be the mayor to vote for me. United, we can stop Olivia Chow,” Mr. Saunders said.

Ms. Chow, a former NDP MP and an ex-city councillor, has come out strongly against Mr. Ford’s redevelopment of Ontario Place, including plans for a luxury spa and parking garage, and said she would not yield on the section of land that Toronto owns on the site to the provincial government.

Speaking to reporters at Ontario Place on Tuesday, Ms. Chow urged the Premier to “listen to the people” and rethink his plans for the site’s redevelopment. “People want to keep Toronto’s waterfront here in Ontario Place,” she told reporters.

She also floated the idea of moving the planned spa and waterpark to another location in the city.

“There are pieces of land and water that belongs to the city of Toronto, and we are going to hold onto these lands and part of the water, and let’s negotiate. We can make it simple, and easy and smooth in terms of a negotiation. Or we could cause a big political storm, which…no one wants that,” she said.

“And I hope we can find common ground. So it’s a win-win situation.”

Mr. Ford on Tuesday also said in the 2010 Toronto mayoral race, the “fake polls” predicted that his late brother, former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, would lose to opponent George Smitherman by 12 points.

“Well, there was a difference of 24 points because Rob kicked his butt by 12 points,” Mr. Ford said. “So don’t believe the polls folks. Get out there, whoever you vote for, go out and vote, I encourage you to vote.”