WHY I’M ANSWERING THE CALL

Countless people, across our community and beyond, have asked me to continue in public service.

That includes Mayor Olivia Chow, who has asked me to join a team working hard to improve city services.

I’m ready to answer the call. I’ll be running to represent you as the City Councillor for Ward 19, Beaches-East York.

It’s no secret that I’ve faced a series of twists and turns in politics over the last couple of years. I’ve been knocked down and learned a lot along the way.

Despite all of it, I still believe that public service through politics is the most important way to make a difference in the lives of those around us. Making the biggest difference one can has been a guiding principle through my decade of service and it’s what drove this decision.

City Hall offers a great opportunity to make a difference in many ways.

First, I trust in Mayor Chow’s leadership and the opportunity for collaboration.

In my time as Housing Minister, we worked well together and got a lot done together.

I trust her to lead our city for another four years with that same collaborative approach, putting politics aside to get things done. And that’s what I’m ready to do together with her at City Hall.

Second, there are big issues to tackle in Toronto. And successful local action on these issues will touch many lives.

Advancing housing solutions

Every level of government needs to work together to advance housing solutions, and my federal experience and provincial knowledge would be an asset as we finish work on zoning reform, create new opportunities for community housing, build on tenant protections, and better address homelessness and deliver dignity.

Defending our public waterfront and delivering serious climate action

We need strong municipal leadership to defend our public waterfront and deliver serious climate action.

The success of our national electrification strategy will hinge on municipal implementation, as just one example.

Our community has spoken out clearly against the island airport expansion and that should be the end of it. Instead, a positive and local waterfront development would be to engage the community in how we should reimagine Woodbine Beach (a Beach marketplace?) after the expiry of the exclusive food services lease down there.

Making city services work, ensuring they are proactive, effective, and easy-to-access

From lead pipe replacement to snow removal to public safety, we need more from city services that work for us locally. At the federal level, I helped to shape the direction of policy. At the municipal level, I’ll be hands-on in solving your problems, delivering results, and squarely focused on improving services that we all rely on every day.

Third, it’s an opportunity to serve our east end community again.

There’s nothing more important to me than family and our Beaches-East York community.

I hope to answer your call more literally: answering your phone calls, promptly responding to your emails, and being responsive to constituent needs. Our federal constituency office often received visitors from across the GTA because our team was known for its help, and there are many more ways to help through a municipal office.

Our community deserves a hard-working local councillor who will be responsive to constituents and relentless in solving their problems.

In the end, it’s a question of public service.

Federal politics was no longer sustainable with two young kids. Provincial renewal efforts went sideways. Still, I believe in public service.

Municipal politics means continued service to our community to make a difference, improve our city, and advocate for you.

I’ve always strived to effect change by working across party lines and to represent Beaches-East York with a sense of principled independence. As many have reminded me over the last few months, this approach to politics is best suited to City Hall.

So I’m putting cynicism aside, answering the call, and stepping up to participate again.

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement, texts, emails, and phone calls along the way. It means a lot to have your support.

There are already great candidates who have put their names forward in our local race and I take nothing for granted.

But for the next four years, with your continued support, I will be relentless in working for you locally and getting things done for you at City Hall.