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Conservative leader and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper shakes hands with Toronto Mayor Rob Ford (R) during a campaign rally in Brampton, Ontario, in this April 29, 2011 file photo. Elected a year ago on a populist promise to stop the spending "gravy train", Toronto's mayor has become Canada's second least popular big-city politician on growing disillusionment after a series of public blunders and fear of service cuts. Ford, a right-wing former city councilor and businessman, has watched his popularity plunge since he won last October's election.CHRIS WATTIE/Reuters

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will meet Tuesday with Toronto Mayor Rob Ford to discuss federal anti-crime initiatives.

A spokesman for the prime minister says Mr. Harper had already planned to be in Toronto, so he added a meeting with Mr. Ford to his schedule after the mayor requested one.

The request followed a shooting at a community barbecue in east-end Toronto last week that left two dead and 23 wounded.

Andrew MacDougall says the prime minister is always happy to meet with elected officials to discuss crime and what government could do to tackle it.

But he says Mr. Ford's suggestion last week that a law to kick criminals out of Toronto is the mayor's proposal.

He says the federal government has its own anti-crime initiatives and Mr. Harper is looking forward to discussing those with Mr. Ford.

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