George Smitherman laid out the broad strokes of a mayoralty campaign in his first speech as a nominal candidate for the job next year - promising to avoid any new taxes, speed up the lowering of business taxes and end what he called the "can't do" attitude at Toronto City Hall. All to a singular end.
"My ambition is to deliver Toronto a stronger economy with more jobs," said Smitherman at the beginning of his address to the Toronto Board of Trade Friday, Dec. 11..
"After all, the economy is a foundation upon which both prosperity and progressive action is built. It is a precondition."
Smitherman spoke broadly about how he would bring that about in the 20-minute address to the luncheon. The former Deputy Premier of Ontario is one of the highest-profile individuals to declare his candidacy.
John Tory, the former leader of the provincial Progressive Conservative party is also considering a race, and has the backing of many of Toronto Council's right-wing members.
But Smitherman's plan to build the city's prosperity seemed to come from the right - and from a position sharply critical of Mayor David Miller's tenure in the top job.
"If I'm elected mayor, the doors to municipal government will open to new ideas, and the can't-do attitude pervasive at City Hall will be gone for good," he said.
"If I can sum up in one word what I believe we need most from the office of mayor, that word would be leadership - clear, consistent and decisive leadership. Clear, consistent and decisive leadership that will move us forward in a way that makes a tangible difference... Leadership that does not confuse rhetoric with results. Leadership that does not confuse activity with achievement."
Smitherman stopped short of enunciating a platform. But he hit on several themes.
He said that Toronto needs to abandon any pretense of competition with surrounding Greater Toronto Area municipalities and assume a role as a "leader."
"There's a whole province, country and world to compete with. Let's combine our power. Let's position Toronto as the motor at the centre of a powerful economic region," he said.
Transit, he said, needs to operate more seamlessly between regions, and he applauded the growth of Metrolinx. But he stopped short, when asked, of saying that he would consider folding the Toronto Transit Commission into such a regional body.
He said the city needs to look more closely at public-private partnerships when it comes to building major pieces of infrastructure.
And he said that while he wanted to gain more efficiency out of city workers, he considered himself "pro union."
"I can see no contradiction between productivity and a pro-union position," he said. "I have a strong rapport with organized labour."
He also pledged to speed up the lowering of business taxes - a process that Toronto Council has already engaged in, but he said is not quick enough.
"Residential taxpayers don't need any more weight upon their shoulders - at the same point, if you want to find policies that turn business away then you need look no further than our current regime," he said. "Will the current multi-year plan get the job done? Not in your life. We have to do better."