David Miller (Canadian politician): Difference between revisions
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On the morning of Friday, April 30, Miller apologised to Fantino. Despite extensive discussion in media outlets such as the ''[[Toronto Sun]]'' and [[CFRB]] radio, the controversy did not significantly hurt Miller's popularity: a public opinion poll taken shortly after the comment showed him with an 80% approval rating. |
On the morning of Friday, April 30, Miller apologised to Fantino. Despite extensive discussion in media outlets such as the ''[[Toronto Sun]]'' and [[CFRB]] radio, the controversy did not significantly hurt Miller's popularity: a public opinion poll taken shortly after the comment showed him with an 80% approval rating. |
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In August 2005, Miller announced that Toronto would hire an additional 150 police officers in 2006. This announcement followed an increase in shooting fatalities throughout the summer of 2005, amid increased gang-related violence in the city. Some councillors, including [[Michael Thompson]], [[Giorgio Mammoliti]] and [[Rob Ford]], have accused Miller of not doing enough to stop this violence. Controversial former police union boss [[Craig Bromell]] has also argued that Miller has politicized the issue of police services. |
In August 2005, Miller announced that Toronto would hire an additional 150 police officers in 2006. This announcement followed an increase in shooting fatalities throughout the summer of 2005, amid increased gang-related violence in the city. Some councillors, including [[Michael Thompson]], [[Giorgio Mammoliti]] and [[Rob Ford]], have accused Miller of not doing enough to stop this violence, due in part to Miller and Police Chief Bill Blair's apparent lack of activity on this issue during the several months that the violence occurred. Controversial former police union boss [[Craig Bromell]] has also argued that Miller has politicized the issue of police services. |
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The proposed addition of officers has been opposed by the police union, as it would involve reducing retention pay and |
The proposed addition of officers has been opposed by the police union, as it would involve reducing retention pay and increasing work hours for existing officers. The Toronto Police Association and Police Services Board have held a series of meetings on the issue, and a solution has not yet been reached. After contract negotiations broke down, the police union began a work-to-rule campaign in October 2005, refusing to patrol or hand out traffic tickets. The Toronto Police Association has also printed advertisements in the ''[[Toronto Star]]'' and ''[[Toronto Sun]]'' with the slogan "get tough on crime, not on cops", asking the mayor to become personally involved in negotiations. [http://www.torontocopsaretops.ca/index.cfm?pid=15403] The Board has accused the Association of "intransigence", and has called for outside arbitration. On [[October 31]], Miller informed the press that he was trying to bring both sides together to continue in their negotiations.[http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/toronto/story.html?id=24078b8e-6af9-4e70-9969-948379781cd4] |
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Miller has also rejected a proposal from Michael Thompson to allow city police officials to profile young black men in areas of high violence. (It should be noted that Thompson is himself black and withdrew the proposal shortly after suggesting it.) |
Miller has also rejected a proposal from Michael Thompson to allow city police officials to profile young black men in areas of high violence. (It should be noted that Thompson is himself black and withdrew the proposal shortly after suggesting it.) |
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Revision as of 03:09, 2 November 2005
- For other people named David Miller, see David Miller (disambiguation)
David Miller (born December 26, 1958, in England) is a Canadian politician. Elected in 2003, he is the 70th mayor of the city of Toronto, Ontario, and second of the merged megacity. He is the first Toronto mayor to be affiliated with the left-wing New Democratic Party. He replaced former North York and Toronto mayor Mel Lastman.
Background
Born in the United Kingdom, Miller moved with his mother to Canada in 1967 when he was eight. He attended Lakefield College School as a youth on a scholarship at the same time Prince Andrew was a student. He did his undergraduate degree at Trinity College at the University of Toronto, and then went to and Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude in Economics, and finally to the University of Toronto Law School. Before running for public office, he was a partner at the prominent Toronto law firm Aird & Berlis, where he specialized in employment and immigration law and shareholder rights. In 1986 he married Jill Arthur, a fellow lawyer. The pair have two children.
Miller is well known as a social activist and for being on the left-wing of the political spectrum. He supports the New Democratic Party (NDP), and has a picture of Tommy Douglas upon the wall of his office. As a federal NDP candidate, he lost a parliamentary election in Parkdale—High Park in 1993, and as an Ontario NDP candidate, he narrowly lost a provincial by-election in York South—Weston in 1996 to Liberal Gerard Kennedy.
As councillor
Miller first ran for city council in 1992, but was unsuccessful. He was first elected to the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto council in 1994 filling the seat vacated by Derwyn Shea. One of his opponents was future Ontario cabinet minister Tony Clement. In 1997, he was elected to the new City of Toronto council. He was re-elected in 2000 representing Ward 13 Parkdale-High Park, in a close race against fellow city councillor, and Mel Lastman ally, Bill Saundercook.
In the November 2000 issue of Toronto Life magazine, he was given an A+ in a list of Toronto city councillors, described as "the best of the bunch, hands down." Although a relative unknown in Toronto until his candidacy for mayor, Miller led the push to expose Toronto's MFP computer leasing scandal.
Major city committees and agencies he served on include the Administration Committee, the Humber York Community Council, the Ethics Steering Committee, the Immigration and Refugee Issues Working Group, Labour Relations Advisory Panel, the Oak Ridges Moraine Steering Committee, and the Toronto Transit Commission.
As mayor
In the 2003 mayoral election, Miller's primary campaign promise was to block a proposal to build a bridge to the Toronto City Centre Airport. He believed that the bridge was just one symptom of a political culture at City Hall which put the interests of developers and lobbyists ahead of the public, and many observers believed that it was this theme that gave his campaign the boost he needed to win. The broom, used in many occasions by Miller as a prop, symbolized his commitment towards cleaning up Toronto both literally, in terms of litter, and metaphorically, referring to the shady dealings at City Hall.
Miller won the 2003 election, and successfully led council to reverse its prior decision to endorse the Toronto City Centre Airport bridge. The vote, held on November 11, 2003, was 28-12 in favour of withdrawing Council's support for the bridge. There were subsequent threats of legal action against the City by the Toronto Port Authority and Robert Deluce, but these were more or less settled by 2005. Federal cabinet minister Joseph Volpe announced the cancellation of the bridge project in May 2005, and announced that the federal government would give the Port Authority $35 million in compensation.[1]
Police policy and controversy
Within months of assuming office, Miller became heavily involved in the polarized issue of Toronto's police budget. With tight city budgets, a steadily decreasing overall crime rate, and a more left-leaning city council wanting money focused on crime prevention and community policing, Miller and a sizable portion of other councillers want increases to the police budget curtailed. Heated arguments formed between left and right wing councillers and between Miller and the then police chief Julian Fantino.
The police department was eventually given a budget increase, though much smaller that originally requested. The relationship between Miller and Fantino remained cool at best, especially after a comment by Miller to the visiting Lord Mayor of London amidst a serious police corruption scandal, in which 14 officers were charged. "Is your police force in jail?" asked Miller. "Mine is."
Miller explained later that the comment was made out of embarrassment of the Toronto city media, questioning him on the police's charges at a press conference about the guest visit. "It was an embarrassing moment and you are in the middle of a press conference about good news and it gets diverted to the matter about the police." Appearing that night on his CablePulse 24 cable news program The Chief, Fantino commented "I feel like someone has driven a stake through my heart."
On the morning of Friday, April 30, Miller apologised to Fantino. Despite extensive discussion in media outlets such as the Toronto Sun and CFRB radio, the controversy did not significantly hurt Miller's popularity: a public opinion poll taken shortly after the comment showed him with an 80% approval rating.
In August 2005, Miller announced that Toronto would hire an additional 150 police officers in 2006. This announcement followed an increase in shooting fatalities throughout the summer of 2005, amid increased gang-related violence in the city. Some councillors, including Michael Thompson, Giorgio Mammoliti and Rob Ford, have accused Miller of not doing enough to stop this violence, due in part to Miller and Police Chief Bill Blair's apparent lack of activity on this issue during the several months that the violence occurred. Controversial former police union boss Craig Bromell has also argued that Miller has politicized the issue of police services.
The proposed addition of officers has been opposed by the police union, as it would involve reducing retention pay and increasing work hours for existing officers. The Toronto Police Association and Police Services Board have held a series of meetings on the issue, and a solution has not yet been reached. After contract negotiations broke down, the police union began a work-to-rule campaign in October 2005, refusing to patrol or hand out traffic tickets. The Toronto Police Association has also printed advertisements in the Toronto Star and Toronto Sun with the slogan "get tough on crime, not on cops", asking the mayor to become personally involved in negotiations. [2] The Board has accused the Association of "intransigence", and has called for outside arbitration. On October 31, Miller informed the press that he was trying to bring both sides together to continue in their negotiations.[3]
Miller has also rejected a proposal from Michael Thompson to allow city police officials to profile young black men in areas of high violence. (It should be noted that Thompson is himself black and withdrew the proposal shortly after suggesting it.)
Transit
Miller helped push for the approval of a plan for a streetcar right-of-way on St. Clair Ave as part of his general support for the Toronto Transit Commission, the public transit system. The proposal has proven controversial since it would increase transit efficiency, but the right-of-way would also eliminate customer parking, potentially harming the local businesses community which relies heavily upon affluent clients that travel by automobile. Some have also argued that it will increase automobile congestion, though this claim has been rejected by supporters.[4] A local group known as Save-Our-St. Clair (SOS) group took the case to the Ontario Superior Court, and the judges' ruling in October 2005 forced a halt to the project. The city has called for the panel ruling to be thrown out, citing a possible bias on the part of one of the judges. [5] The issue has not yet been resolved.
Miller was more succesful in his push to implement the Ridership Growth Strategy, a plan which would increase ridership and reduce overcrowding on the TTC. Phase 1 is currently in implementation, while later phases will have to wait until proper funding is allocated. He also took part in negotiations with the federal and provincial governments in 2004, which saw one billion in additional funding allocated for the cash-strapped TTC over five years.
Criticism
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a taxpayer advocacy organization promoting lower levels of taxation, has criticized Miller for his spending policies. Some critics believe Miller has ignored the concerns of surburban Toronto residents to focus upon his support base in the downtown core. He has also been criticized by some for delaying road repairs while allocating city funds for homeless shelters and other social outreach programs.