Canada PoliticsToronto mayor compares city councillors to brutal dictator
Once again, Toronto mayor Rob Ford has caused a stir over his words.
According to a story in the Toronto Star, Ford was on AM640's John Oakley Show, Tuesday, when he compared several city councillors to ruthless Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
Oakley was questioning Ford about a group of centrist Toronto city councillors who had "gone rogue."
"I consider (Josh Matlow) a left-wing NDPer," he said.
"These people are all two steps left of Joe Stalin. So I'm not discouraged by that and I don't expect it. They don't care about the taxpayers. But I know one person who does and that's me."
When asked his thoughts on being compared to a man who killed twice as many people as Adolf Hitler, Matlow shook his head and told the Star: "Nah. I'll leave it."
This isn't the first time, Ford has made controversial comments.
Here are some older 'Ford-isms' that, in the past, put the Toronto mayor in hot water:
June 14, 2005 - During a council debate over the utility of grant programs for transgendered and transsexual people during a council debate:
"I don't understand. No. 1, I don't understand a transgender, I don't understand, is it a guy dressed up like a girl or a girl dressed up like a guy? And we're funding this for, I don't know, what does it say here? We're giving them $3,210?"
June 2006 - During a council debate on public-health grants for community-based AIDS-prevention programs:
"If you're not doing needles, and you are not gay, you wouldn't get AIDS probably, that's the bottom line. These are the facts."
March 5, 2008 - During a council debate over holiday shopping:
"Those Oriental people work like dogs. … They're slowly taking over."
August 2010 - During a televised debate speaking about immigration:
"Right now we can't even deal with the 2.5 million people in this city...I think it is more important to take care of people now before we start bringing in more people."
