Ruby wants Supreme Court to hear Ford’s conflict-of-interest case

By The Canadian Press

The man who almost managed to have Mayor Rob Ford turfed from office is hoping the country’s top court will hear the case.

Lawyer Clayton Ruby and his client Paul Magder are asking the Supreme Court of Canada to overturn a ruling that allowed Ford to stay in the mayor’s chair.

“We’re appealing this case to Canada’s highest court because it is a case of national importance,” Ruby said Thursday.

“Holding politicians to account is a matter of importance to all Canadians. “

In his application, Magder says the case raises novel questions about the powers of municipalities to govern themselves and to hold public officials to account.

Ford said he had no control over Magder’s decision.

“I consider the issue closed but obviously they don’t,” Ford said at the Canada Blooms show on Friday.

“If they want to go to the Supreme Court, all the power to them.”

Last fall, an Ontario court ordered Ford removed from office for violating conflict laws by taking part in a February 2012 vote in which he had a financial interest.

Ford, however, argued on appeal to Divisional Court that the ruling was in error — and the court sided with him on what was essentially a technicality.

It said the vote was null because council didn’t have the power to make Ford repay $3,150 registered city lobbyists donated to his private football charity. And therefore Ford’s participation in the vote was irrelevant.

“Are we supposed to sit back there and do nothing? Are we supposed to just sit back and let it go? Well we cannot let it go,” Ruby said.

“We will have powerful politicians doing whatever the hell they want and nobody able to do anything about it until an election rolls around again in two, three, four years. No thank you. Paul Magder deserves thanks for what he did.”

It could be many months before the Supreme Court decides whether to hear the case.

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