Democracy At Its Finest.....

.....or is it. I have to wonder how many of the "fringe" candidates have blogs and have taken their fantasies one step further.

Debate: Issues and fairy wings
Fringe mayoral candidates get time on platform
27 of 38 hopefuls take questions from public
Oct. 5, 2006. 01:00 AM
JOHN SPEARS
CITY HALL BUREAU

Move over, David Miller. Take a seat, Jane Pitfield. Stand back,
Stephen LeDrew.

Toronto's race for the mayor's chair has 38 entrants, and last night at
St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, they were all invited to share the
same stage.

Twenty-seven showed up to debate the issues of the day — although most
of the questions were pitched at the front-runners. And judging from
the applause, each of the high-profile candidates brought a solid core
of supporters to the meeting to applaud on cue.

But the others at least get their time on a platform. Candidates like
Glenn Coles, campaigning in favour of windmills and against the 550-
megawatt gas-fired generating station at the Portlands Energy Centre.

Or John Weingust, Q.C., "who has been fighting traffic tickets for over
30 years as an advocate for motorists."

Or Ryerson student Adam Sit, campaigning to give youth more voice in
the city.

Or accountant Joel Rubinovich, urging voters to "take back the city
from politicians."

There's Douglas Campbell, who says he helped abolish corporal and
capital punishment in Canada: "Miller should have given $40 million
for the university education of every youth in Canada, and not to the
police," he says.

Then there's Rabbi Paul Sheldon, decked out in a purple suit.

"Seniors go free on the TTC," he crows, then calls for more wedding
chapels in the city.

Miller and Pitfield, ironically, were seated side by side on the stage,
in the first of the three rows of seats.

LeDrew, among the last to register as a candidate, is in the back row.

Miller takes some shots from his opponents.

Miller and LeDrew both duck a direct question — whether they'll promise
to establish a bus rapid transit or light rail rapid transit network
within four years. Some questions are obviously softballs lobbed by
supporters, like the one that asks LeDrew what he'd do to fix the
city's finances.

LeDrew uses it to lambaste city council's decision to back a $674
million deal to buy subway cars from Bombardier without seeking
competitive bids.

Pitfield draws boos from the crowd when she supports the Portland
Energy Centre. Miller touts Toronto Hydro's energy conservation
efforts.

Weingust comes up with one of the evening's fresh approaches. He
compares charges for parking on city streets with charging tolls on
motorists who drive on the streets.

Miller declines to answer when waste diversion advocate Rod Muir asks
why highrise buildings in the city have been constructed in recent
years with only a single garbage chute, making it harder to separate
waste from recycling and compostable material.

At one point, candidates are invited to give one-word answers to the
question of what they'd do if given an extra $1 million. "Youth," says
Miller. "Trees," says Pitfield.

"Sex and crime," says Diana-De Maxted, who wears a tiara and fairy
wings. "Opera tickets for underprivileged children," offers another
candidate. Amateurism catches up with a few candidates. Manowar
Hossain feels strongly about something, but the audience isn't quite
sure what. He is comparing something to the plants orbiting the earth,
and as he waves his microphone in circles around his head to
illustrate his point, his words become inaudible.

Lyla Barclay came with her husband Tony hoping to hear some new ideas.
"I'm not sure where Stephen LeDrew stands on anything at all; maybe he
has something new."

Husband Tony has a long-standing interest in local politics; he ran for
the New Democrats in the old City of Toronto in 1968. The top two were
elected; he came third. He's supporting David Miller.