Premier Ford A Male Chauvinist Pig, Says Councillor Parrish

Mississauga Councillor Carolyn Parrish was not happy about what Premier Doug Ford said about Mayor Bonnie Crombie and clapped back. Parrish called Ford “a male chauvinist pig,” and said that his remarks about the mayor were unacceptable. Ford mentioned in his speech on Wednesday that the mayors opposing the housing legislation need to stop whining.

On Wednesday, Premier Doug Ford and Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney were present in Brampton where they announced funding for public transit projects across the province. During his announcement, Ford spoke about the housing legislation that calls for more houses to be built and eliminates some developer fees. He pointed out that there are some mayors, including Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, who oppose this legislation.

Ford said he does not know what Crombie’s problem is and that she, along with other mayors, needs to stop whining. He added that these mayors don’t want to play in the sandbox.

Carolyn Parrish who is a supporter of Crombie defended the mayor and said, “I believe in everything Bonnie has done, and I think it’s disgusting the way she’s being treated by the premier. He’s a male chauvinist pig.” She added that Ford’s press conferences were “appalling” and that he needs to start treating officials with respect.

Following Ford’s comments, Crombie released a statement defending her side and said that she is not whining, but doing her job as mayor to stand up for our residents and taxpayers. “We are trying to build a great city and accommodate growth, but as it stands, this legislation will force us to either put the brakes on these plans due to lack of funding or significantly raise taxes by up to 10 percent a year for the next decade. I think we can all agree that none of us want that.”

The new housing plan eliminates some developer fees and some mayors have pointed out a problem with this. They state that eliminating the developer fee will lead to municipalities increasing property taxes to pay for infrastructure that supports new housing. A recent report stated that this new legislation could cost the region $2 billion over the next 10 years.

Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark stated he will launch a third-party audit of the finances of some municipalities and see if the housing law will lead to a shortfall. If it does, these municipalities will be made “whole.” It is unclear what that means exactly.

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