You like the Stones? Mick Jagger. Were you a Hendrix fan? Like Led Zep! Of course, you do! Those guys bred like rabbits. They had the self-control of a 3-year-old. Did you stop listening to their music? Shame on you.
The point I'm making is that politicians, whether Americans or dimwitted Canadians (relax, I'm always saying inappropriate crap) can't keep it in their pants. So the solution is to forbid any of them from getting married.
Unless they're females. When was the last time you heard about a female congressman being caught with a male staffer? That is why, I've decided to include a provision for Congresswomen to go out and garner life partners.
A Sex Scandal Claims John Tory, Canada’s Mildest Politician
Toronto’s mayor resigns after admitting an affair with a staffer 37 years his junior.
By Michael Taube
Feb. 17, 2023 5:36 pm ET
Mayor John Tory was mild even by Canadian standards. He was elected in 2014 as a straight-laced alternative to the infamous crack-smoking Mayor Rob Ford. A longtime business executive and former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, Mr. Tory was politically moderate too—a Red Tory, or left-leaning Conservative with a pro-business agenda. He branded himself a family man—married to his wife, Barbara, since 1978.
The Toronto Star reported on Feb. 10 that the 68-year-old Mr. Tory had a multiyear affair with an unnamed 31-year-old female former staffer. The romance started during the Covid pandemic and ended this year. Within an hour of the story’s publication, Mr. Tory admitted a “serious error in judgment”; apologized to his wife, family and the people of Toronto; and announced his intention to resign, which he did this Friday.
While there’s no specific law in Ontario prohibiting relationships in the workplace, the mayor is part of the Toronto City Council, whose code of conduct states that “members should perform their duties and arrange their private affairs in a manner that promotes public confidence and bears close public scrutiny.” It was also revealed that the young woman left the mayor’s office in 2021 to work at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. Mr. Tory still controversially has a seat in the family trust of Rogers Communications, which owns a 37.5% stake in MLSE, for which he is paid 100,000 Canadian dollars (US$74,000) a year.
It appears Mr. Tory wasn’t taken by surprise when the story broke. The Star subsequently reported that he formed a “war room” of political experts, current staffers and former staffers “to deal with the unfolding crisis.” He had a prepared statement in hand at his hastily called press conference, where he looked far less shell-shocked than most reporters in the room.
Torontonians have mixed opinions about his decision to step down. A Forum Research interactive poll found 45% didn’t believe he should quit, while 43% believed he should. There’s also some concern that a by-election in liberal Toronto could lead to a Liberal or even far-left mayor. Some municipal, provincial and federal politicians reportedly pushed him to reconsider—including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, elder brother of Mr. Tory’s predecessor. After Rob Ford was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, Doug Ford ran for mayor, lost to Mr. Tory, and later formed a solid working relationship with the mayor.
Mr. Tory’s resignation is a surprise ending to the career of one of the safest and most cautious politicians in a country known for being anodyne. Sometimes it’s the ones you least expect.
Mr. Taube, a columnist for Troy Media, Loonie Politics, National Post and Epoch Times, was a speechwriter for former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
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