John Tory

Tory in Guelph, September 24, 2007

In the 2007 general election, Tory ran in the Toronto riding of Don Valley West, the area where he grew up, raised his family and lived most of his life.

Tory released his platform on June 9, 2007. The platform, A Plan for a Better Ontario, commits a PC government to eliminate the health care tax introduced by the previous government, put scrubbers on coal-fired power plants,[14] address Ontario's doctor shortage,[15] allow new private health care partnerships provided services are paid by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP),[16] impose more penalties on illegal land occupations in response to the Caledonia land dispute,[17] fast-track the building of nuclear power plants,[18] and invest the gas tax in public transit and roads.[19] A costing of the platform released in August estimated that the PC promises would cost an additional $14 billion over four years.[20]

The PC campaign was formally launched on September 3.[21] Most of the campaign was dominated by discussion of his plan to extend public funding to Ontario's faith-based separate schools,[22] during which Tory supported allowing the teaching of creationism in religious studies classes.[23] Earlier in the year, indications were that the party would have been a strong contender to win the election, but the school funding promise resulted in the Liberals regaining the lead in popular support for the duration of the campaign.[24] Later in the campaign, in the face of heavy opposition, Tory promised a free vote on the issue.[25]

With the beginning of the official campaign period on September 10, the PC campaign made clear its intention to make the previous government's record a key issue. In particular, Tory focused on the Liberals' 2003 election and 2004 pre-budget promise not to raise taxes and their subsequent imposition of a health care tax.[26]

On election night, the PCs made minor gains and remained the Official Opposition while Dalton McGuinty's Liberals were re-elected with a majority. Tory was defeated in Don Valley West by the incumbent Ontario Liberal MPP, Minister of Education Kathleen Wynne.[27] Although Tory was defeated in both his riding of Don Valley West and the race for the premiership, he said that he would stay on as leader unless the party wanted him to resign.[24][28]

As a result of the election loss, the party decided to hold a leadership review vote at its 2008 general party meeting in London.[29] Tory received 66.9 percent support, lower than internal tracking which showed him in the more comfortable 70 percent range. Three hours after the leadership review vote, Tory announced to the delegates that he would be staying on as leader.[30] He came under heavy criticism from several party members following this delay, with his opponents signalling that they would continue to call for an end to what they called his 'weak' leadership.[31] Other party members supported Tory, saying that his opponents should accept the results and move on.[30][31]

Throughout 2008, Tory's leadership of the party was perceived to be tenuous, as he faced widespread criticism for his seeming failure to convince a sitting MPP to resign in order to open a seat for him. Most notably, Bill Murdoch called for Tory to resign as party leader in September, resulting in his suspension from the party caucus on September 12.[32] Six days later, Murdoch was permanently expelled from the party caucus. In December 2008, media pundits speculated that Prime Minister Stephen Harper would appoint PC MPP Bob Runciman to the Senate in order to clear the way for Tory to run in Runciman's comfortably safe riding of Leeds—Grenville. However, Harper did not do so.

On January 9, 2009, PC MPP Laurie Scott announced her resignation from the legislature, allowing Tory to run in the resulting by-election in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, a normally safe PC riding in central Ontario. In exchange for agreeing to resign, Scott was given the post of chair of the party's election preparedness committee until the 2011 election, and $100,000 in severance pay.[33][34] On March 5, 2009, he lost the by-election to Liberal candidate Rick Johnson.[35] Tory announced his resignation from the party leadership the next day and was succeeded by Bob Runciman as interim leader; Runciman had served twice as leader of the opposition during the two times Tory did not have a seat in the legislature. Niagara West—Glanbrook MPP Tim Hudak won the 2009 Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership election to become party leader and opposition leader.[36]

Tory on stage with other mayoral candidates prior to a debate, June 2014

Tory registered as a candidate for the 2014 Toronto mayoral election on February 24, 2014. In his launch video he stated that building a Yonge Street relief line was "job one" if elected mayor.[49] On May 27, he announced his Toronto relief plan, entitled SmartTrack, providing electric commuter rail along existing GO train infrastructure with service from Unionville to Pearson Airport.[50][51] SmartTrack is expected to be completed in the early 2020s.[52] On October 27, 2014, Tory was elected as mayor of Toronto.[53]

Soon after the 2014 election, the Toronto Police Services Board – with new member Tory – quashed rules governing the use of the Community Contacts Policy ("carding"),[54] a controversial practice allowing police to randomly and routinely stop and demand identification and personal information from any individual deemed suspicious.[55] The information collected is kept on record for an unspecified period and is easily accessible by police officers.[55] Opponents, allege it disproportionately targets black people.[56]

The previous rules, brought in by former police chief Bill Blair, had required police to inform stopped individuals of their rights and to keep a record of each stop.[55] Blair had also suspended the practice pending new rules.[55] Despite public demand from a wide range of prominent Torontonians to completely end carding, Tory continued for a brief period to defend the policy in general, stating it needed to be reformed but not stopped.[56]

On June 7, 2015, Tory called for an end to the policy, stating it had "eroded the public trust" and that the issue was among "the most personally agonizing" during his tenure as mayor.[57]

Tory speaking during the opening ceremony for the 514 Cherry streetcar line

Tory supports renovating the Gardiner Expressway east of Jarvis Street. The head of Civic Action and has also called for spending 1 billion dollars to renovate the structure. Other politicians, including former mayor David Crombie and former chief city planner and 2018 Toronto mayoral candidate Jennifer Keesmaat oppose the renovation of the Gardiner Expressway, and prefer to tear it down instead.[58][59][60] On this issue, three members of his executive committee oppose him.[61]

Tory supports a one-stop extension of Toronto subway Line 2 to serve a proposed transit hub[62] at the Scarborough Town Centre as opposed to the three-stop Scarborough previously approved and fully funded under Ford.[63][64][65] The LRT alternative failed in council in 2016.[66] The Scarborough Subway Extension has completed the planning stage and as of 2016 was in the detailed design stage, with an estimated operation date of 2023.[67]

In August 2016, Tory proposed the development of a 21-acre greenspace in the downtown core constructed above the Railway Lands. The proposed park, for which no funds have been allocated, would span between the Rogers Centre and Bathurst Street.[68]

On May 1, 2018, Tory registered his candidacy for re-election.[69]

The percentage of the vote won by John Tory in each municipal ward in Toronto's 2018 mayoral election

Tory retained a high approval rating at 58%, with only 24% disapproving, and 18% undecided. He was a front runner in the polls for the mayoral election at 65–70% support.[70]

Tory was re-elected mayor of Toronto on October 22, 2018, defeating former chief city planner Jennifer Keesmaat with 63.49% of the vote.[71][72]

Tory has promised to keep property tax increases at or below the rate of inflation. Tory had previously made the same promise during the last municipal election and kept it as mayor.[73]

On March 23, 2020, a state of emergency was declared in Toronto by Tory, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto.[74][75] This came six days after Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in the province,[76] which included prohibition of all public events of over 50 people (later reduced to 5 people on March 28), closure of bars and restaurants (with the exception that restaurants may continue to provide takeout and delivery services) as well as libraries, theatres, cinemas, schools and daycares.[77][78] On March 31, Tory announced that the City of Toronto would cancel all city-led major events, festivals, conferences, permits and cultural programs until June 30.[79]

Beginning after Canada Day, street parking enforcement as well as fare evasion enforcement returned to Toronto and the Toronto Transit Commission respectively.[80] Since July 2, face masks or coverings have been required to be worn on the TTC.[81] After July 7, masks were required in enclosed, public places.[82]

On June 25, 2020, Tory tabled a motion to "detask" the Toronto Police Service in response to calls for police reform sparked by the police killing of George Floyd and a series of similar incidents in Toronto and elsewhere in Canada such as the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet.[83] Under the proposal, duties currently assigned to sworn officers would be assumed by "alternative models of community safety response" to incidents where neither violence nor weapons are at issue, such as some calls regarding persons suffering mental health crises, with the specific redirected duties and alternative models to be developed based on a report that the motion would commission.[83] The proposal would “commit that its first funding priority for future budgets [be] centered [sic] on a robust system of social supports and services" and make an itemized line-by-line breakdown of the police budget public; a reduction in the police budget would likely ensue, according to the motion.[83]

On November 22nd, 2020, Tory proclaimed the day to be National Housing Day. His announcement was accompanied by turning on some red lights and taking action to stop community initiatives that construct winterized shelters for people experiencing homelessness. These measures included a warning letter threatening to sue a local carpenter [84] and orders for police to destroy encampments and displace the residents. He has never visited any of the city's encampments.