Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Does it Matter if a Candidate Lives in the Ward or Not?

Where Ward 18 City Councillor Candidates Live:

(I checked into their publicly available qualifying addresses on their registration forms at Toronto Elections. City Hall, shows date of registration)

Ana BAILAO = 9 Southview Avenue M6H 1T3 January 27, 2010
* YES lives in ward 18 near Dovercourt Park.

Kevin BEAULIEU = 593 Gladstone Avenue M6H 1T3 April 28, 2010
* YES lives in ward 18 just north of Gladstone Library

- Doug CARROLL = 46 Boustead Avenue M6R 1Y9 May 27, 2010
* NO lives in ward 14 High Park the other side of Roncesvalles

Frank de JONG = 210 St. Helens Avenue M6H 4A3 April 23, 2010
* YES lives in ward 18 near MacGregor Park

- Abdirazak ELMI = 275 Shuter Street M5T 1B8 July 14, 2010
* NO lives in ward 28 the other side of Moss Park east of Yonge, Jarvis

- Nha LE = 23 Sullivan Street M5T 1B8 January 5, 2010
* NO lives in ward 20 near Grange Park east of Spadina

Joe MacDONALD = 34 Pauline Avenue M6H 3M8 ?
* YES lives in ward 18 just northwest of Gladstone Library

Mohammed MUHIT = 667 Brock Avenue M6H 3P1 June 11, 2010
* YES lives in ward 18 just northwest of Gladstone Library (close to Joe)

Kirk RUSSELL = 433 Jarvis Street M4Y 2G9 ?
* YES lived in ward 27 near Allan Gardens, east of Yonge when papers filed, but now lives in ward18 on Edna (updated after talking to Kirk)

- Joanna TELIATNIK = 11 Michael Power Place M9A 5G3 ?
* NO lives in ward 5 near Kipling and the 401

- Hema VYAS = 54 Alhambra Avenue M6R 2S6 February 9, 2010
* NO lives in ward 14 High Park the other side of Roncesvalles

Ken WOOD = 355 Lansdowne Avenue M6H 3Y2 September 10, 2010
* Yes lives in ward 18 across from West Toronto at College & Lansdowne
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This interest was sparked by the National Post article by Peter Kuitenbrouwer of October 12th called " Representation From the Outside " http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/10/12/peter-kuitenbrouwer-representation-from-the-outside/ as wells as by residents and candidates wondering where other candidates actually live.

Of the 35 incumbent councillors seeking re-election, about ONE THIRD do not live in the wards they represent. People like: Gord Perks, Adam Vaughan, Cesar Palacio, Giorgio Mammoliti, Shelley Carroll and more.

Many voters are not aware that anyone can run in their wards, even if they don't live there.

Rules do not require council candidates to live in Toronto, let alone their wards
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One point of impact on this is our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which specifies MOBILITY rights: http://www.charterofrights.ca/en/15_00_01 which may be why election laws are the way they are...
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Still would it be right to have a ward 18 City Councillor who lives in, say, Barrie ?
Is this something that needs to be changed? Or just something voters have a right to know?
I guess voters will be the judge of it all in the end. Information that is good to know because
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DAVENPORT DESERVES BETTER