Swan Song Being Sung Offkey

Miller says keeping mandate alive is main goal

Updated: Mon Sep. 28 2009 4:51:50 PM

ctvtoronto.ca

Toronto's Mayor David Miller said Monday his job is "business as usual," but admitted it will be harder getting things done on city council now that he's announced he won't be running again.

"The good news from perspective is that I had a very ambitious mandate from the 2006 election. All of it's underway ... and it's about making sure those things happen," he told CTV News Channel on Monday.

Miller, who announced last week he won't seek re-election in 2010, highlighted some of those issues as:

• the Transit City light rail expansion plan
• public housing
• environmental issues
• crime reduction
• creating opportunity

"If I needed to get a lot of legislation through council, you're right, it would be tough. But most of the things we need to do are done," he said.

The city has 44 councillors plus the mayor, but the City of Toronto Act had expanded the mayor's powers. Miller noted the mayor is the only municipal politician elected city-wide "and has the moral authority to implement the agenda he's elected on," he said.

Miller hinted it might be time for some councillors to move on, although he praised allies such as Councillors Adam Vaughan, Gord Perks and Adrian Heaps. "All three of them are excellent, and I think that vitality is something that is really needed," he said.

Council has conservative and liberal factions. The conservative councillors are worried about the ramp-up in spending and taxes that has taken place since Miller became mayor in 2003.

One thing that seemingly hurt Miller's standing with the public was the handling of the 39-day municipal workers strike, the resolution of which seemed to satisfy no one.

Miller suggested that was a temporary setback in public opinion. "When I walk around Toronto, people are terrific," he said.

He insisted the city won the strike. "If you look at labour relations settlements across the province of Ontario, we got what we wanted, significantly less than other settlements all across this province for the past decade."

Miller said he ended an obsolete sick leave plan, but it will only be phased out over time.

The mayor argued he couldn't say the city had won between the time the deal was reached and the vote, and that's the period in which public opinion was formed on the issue.

Critics of Miller said the mayor promised even greater concessions from the union and didn't deliver, while others wondered why a strike was necessary for the deal that eventually ended the dispute.

Miller had been active on the national stage in trying to promote a new deal for cities with the federal government in terms of funding. He gave credit for former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin for starting the ball rolling and to Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper for maintaining and adding to the arrangement.

"That shows it was the right thing to do," he said. "If Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal aren't succeeding, Canada isn't. If we do succeed, Canada as a whole as a much better chance."