Ford Attacks Smitherman After Release of Critical Report

One of the frontrunners in the city’s mayoral race was handed new ammunition Wednesday.

Auditor General Jim McCarter revealed in a report that Ontario hospitals, local health networks and the Ministry of Health – formerly under the purview of candidate George Smitherman – still hire consultants without competitive bidding and still don’t properly monitor fees.

“I’m scared,” fellow contender Rob Ford told CityNews. “I’m really scared if he becomes mayor because there will be more and more wasteful spending. He is the gravy train. He is the leader of the gravy train.”

Ford, along with third-place candidate Joe Pantalone, continued his attack on Smitherman at Wednesday night’s Newstalk 1010 debate.

“You and a billion dollars seem to get along,” Ford told Smitherman. “A billion-dollar eHealth scandal, the billion-dollar gun registry – from day one it’s been a disaster.”

Smitherman fired back at Ford for his lack of experience.

“You can make criticisms about a record, but that comes with experience,” Smitherman said. “He’s had none except running a business his father left him and being a local councillor. I accept in my time as Minister of Health there are positives and criticisms.”

But earlier in the day, neither Ford nor Smitherman showed up at the YMCA Get Fit debate Wednesday, leaving Pantalone alone in the almost full room.

Ford said he needed time to study the Auditor General’s report and, without him there, Smitherman decided not to attend.

“The fact that Mr. Ford decided not to show up is extremely disrespectful,” Pantalone said. “And the fact that Mr. Smitherman decided that since Mr. Ford wasn’t coming he wasn’t coming either is also disrespectful. Is Mr. Smitherman saying that if Mr. Ford decides to withdraw from the elections, he is going to withdraw as well?”

All three were at the final televised debate Tuesday night, when Ford called out Smitherman for his role in the billion-dollar eHealth scandal.

Specifically, he asked about an untendered $10 million contract with the Courtyard Group, where Smitherman’s former chief of staff worked.

Smitherman admitted there were untendered contracts but denied he issued any of them. He also called Ford untrustworthy for sketching out a financial plan he couldn’t realistically follow. Ford recently admitted he wouldn’t be able to eliminate the land-transfer tax until 2012 or later.

Then, appealing to Pantalone’s supporters, Smitherman said, “A vote for Joe Pantalone is the same as a vote for Rob Ford.”

With former candidates Sarah Thomson and Rocco Rossi dropping out of the race in recent weeks, Pantalone has been under pressure to do the same.

But, so far, he’s holding fast. He told spectators on Tuesday they shouldn’t vote out of fear.