Rob Ford compares John Tory to 'a dog off a leash'
Tory spokeswoman says Ford should stick to issues in his ward
Their pictures appear side by side at Toronto City Hall, but otherwise Mayor John Tory and his predecessor Coun. Rob Ford are anything but close.
Tory and Ford have been part of the same council for just under three months, but the former mayor has frequently commented on the new mayor's conduct.
This week, Ford has been critical of an overnight trip Tory took to Ottawa to meet with federal politicians and to advocate for transit and infrastructure funding.
On Tuesday, Ford questioned the purpose of the trip and its cost — and he continued to voice his skepticism in a radio interview on Newstalk 1010 later that night.
"He's like a dog off a leash, running around, not knowing what to do," Ford said, when describing his take on Tory's approach to reaching out to federal counterparts.
Amanda Galbraith, the mayor's director of communications, told CBC News and other media outlets that Ford's remarks were "unfortunate."
Galbraith suggested it was "one more example of the kind of behaviour the people of Toronto are fed up with," adding that Ford had "embarrassed the city repeatedly" when he served as mayor.
Tory is doing his job by going to Ottawa, Galbraith said.
"We make no apologies for doing the business of the people of Toronto. Coun. Ford should stick to the business of the people of Ward 2," Galbraith said, referring to the ward that Ford represents in Etobicoke.
Comparison seen as 'mean-spirited'
Coun. Joe Cressy said Wednesday that he thought Ford's words about Tory were a "mean-spirited, inappropriate comment."
He went on to say that in politics, "We may disagree, but you’ve got to disagree respectfully."
Asked what advice he would give to Tory to deal with Ford's criticisms, Cressy declined to do so.
"You can ask Mayor Tory what he should do about Rob Ford, I'm not advising him on it," he said.
Coun. Gord Perks told reporters he didn't want to speak about Ford.
Asked if he thinks Tory should be responding to Ford's remarks, Perks said: "I'll lead by example, I have nothing to say."
This month, Ford also claimed that he didn't "lose" to Tory at the polls last October, as he had withdrawn from the mayoral race after getting a cancer diagnosis.
Ford instead moved his name to the ballot in Ward 2, where he was elected as a councillor.
That created the unusual situation in which Tory and the former mayor have ended up serving on the same council.
But Tory has publicly reminded Ford about who now sits in the mayor's chair — and it's not the councillor in Ward 2.