Born to Run
Working the backrooms, John Tory has made everyone from Bill Davis to Brian Mulroney look good. Now he’s cashing in years of political capital in his bid to become premier. But there’s more at stake than his personal ambition. He may be Progressive Conservatism’s last hope By Philip Preville
Image credit: Raina Kirn and Wilson Barry
Though he was born into Toronto aristocracy and has spent his entire adult life as a political, corporate and charitable titan, John Tory has no airs about him. He is plain-spoken, unimposing and unfailingly friendly. They are acquired traits—he hasn’t always been this at ease in public—but he has honed them into useful political assets. They are especially handy in awkward situations, like when he attended a community barbecue in May to raise funds for the funeral of Jordan Manners, the 15-year-old fatally shot at C. W. Jefferys Collegiate. In the centre of the courtyard sat some makeshift tables and chairs, which were largely empty, since they were in the most uncomfortable place in the compound; a horde of (mostly white) media had formed a ring about 50 feet away, their cameras and microphones pointing toward the tables, like snipers waiting for someone to cross their path. The few dozen well-wishers in attendance avoided the central tables, preferring instead to mill about behind the cameras or next to the DJ spinning reggae.
Into this discomfiting scene walked Tory, accompanied by his wife, Barbara Hackett. He immediately did what most of the journalists seemed afraid to do, which was merely to employ some fundamental social graces: he approached a small group of people, introduced himself, and asked if he could speak to a member of Manners’ family. After he’d passed on his sympathies, he spoke with the media, who were visibly relieved that a Recognized Talking Head had shown up to bridge the two solitudes. Then he left, without lingering and without fanfare. On the way to his next event, he reflected on the appearance. “I think, when people watch TV, the footage that comes from some corner of Toronto is treated no differently than the footage that comes from Afghanistan or Iraq: it’s just on TV, and it seems to be happening some other place,” he said. “There is a gratitude that comes with your presence. What counts is that you’re there just to say, ‘I watched it on TV and it moved me and I wanted to come in person to say that I’m sorry you’re going through this.’ ”
Despite his kind words and manners, it’s hard not to assume that Tory is using tragedy to score points with voters. And while it’s true the optics are good, the political calculus is not quite so crass. Tory makes a habit of attending these events. In the three years since he became leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, he has attended dozens of community events, each in memory of yet another slain black youth, as well as about half a dozen funerals. No other political leader—neither Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty, nor Ontario NDP Leader Howard Hampton, nor NDP-leaning mayor David Miller—can lay claim to a similar record of attendance or interest. Mind you, they arguably don’t have to: established political wisdom holds that Liberals and New Democrats by their very nature care deeply about minorities and the plight of the disadvantaged. Tory also cares, but he has to work harder than his competition because most people believe that Conservatives, as Liberal strategist Warren Kinsella puts it, have “tiny black hearts.”
This perception has become so entrenched that it’s jarring to realize just how recently it developed. John Tory represents a less strident brand of conservatism that was once common in this country—one that favours free markets and fiscal prudence, but also believes in social justice and the positive power of government. It’s called Red Toryism, a moniker that has nothing to do with Tory’s family name but is synonymous with his views. It’s the political philosophy whose roots stretch back to Sir John A. Macdonald and the very invention of Canada. In the 1970s and ’80s, during the Bill Davis era in Ontario, it was known as the Big Blue Machine: the ideal combination of organizational strength, political savvy and well-managed, moderate government. In the 1980s, Brian Mulroney borrowed Davis’s formula and his brain trust, riding the Big Blue Machine to two successive federal majority governments. Today, however, few people in Canada equate conservatism with moderation. Federally, the party has taken the Progressive out of its name. Provincially, Mike Harris’s Common Sense Revolution remade the party into one of ideological purity. And the Big Blue Machine of capital-P Progressive Conservatism has been reduced to rusty scraps and popped springs. John Tory has been carrying that broken-down heap on his shoulders since the defeat of the federal PCs in 1993. He is determined to see it rebuilt. He is probably its last hope.
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I don't care what he says, he was with Mike Harris and I will always remember how they treated us. He is the same.
July 13, 2007 | by F_GramIronic that John Tory is profiled in an issue on "Club Land."
I guess he is the section on the Albany Club, the York Club, the Rosedale Golf Club and whatever other clubs he and his cronies belong to that only recently admited women, Jewish people and Canadians of colour.
July 13, 2007 | by ArgosFan1Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, John Tory can no way understand the plight of the average Joe. Could you ever picture this man shopping in a Wal-Mart or mowing his own lawn, or trying to fix his son's beat-up, old lemon? No. This man was born into privilege, dines at the Albany Club, and, certainly won't get his hands dirty. How could a man like this think that he understands the plight of the average person? Tory shows up in some of the poorer neighbourhoods in Toronto and gets his photo taken and thinks that now he understands?? He'll never understand because he has only known privilege and entitlement his whole life. Because he makes the effort to go to these places, does not mean that he truly understands, nor does it mean that if elected Premier he will make these people his top priority.
July 13, 2007 | by Theresa2007Old boys and old money is the only thing that Mr. Tory knows.
Although I am sure John Tory is a nice guy, I have many doubts about what he truly represents in the Progressive Conservative party. He may be a Red Tory but I doubt the rest of the party is. They have elected a nice, well mannered man who comes from a rich priveleged world, but I doubt he will be able to overcome the true PC party; which as we have seen in the past is a party that caters to the rich and takes advantage of the poor. I cannot see how he will take them away from their track record, which is one where young mothers on welfare die in hot apartments, and people die in cities because the drinking water is unsafe, and teachers are constantly on strike. Not even to talk about the hospitals and infrastructure that decayed under their watch. The PCs are a party which cuts government spending to a detrimental affect and I doubt that John Tory is anything different.
July 13, 2007 | by Jackilda_LThis man is out of touch... After reading this article I am more certain then ever that he has no idea what the people of this province want.
He just seems like the same old boy, with a group of friends that he has cultivated while being an executive at Rogers, and a lawyer at a prestigious law firm, he is not like the regular person who tries to save a few dollars, or takes out the trash no matter how hard he tries.
A live in nanny.. Is that normal, for the average person? I think not...
I am sad to see that this is all the Tories learned after being kicked out of office. They are an out of touch party that only sees the interests of the rich; hence their choice in leader.
July 13, 2007 | by Leigh77Poor Mr. Tory. He's been wrongly perceived as being born into high society with a silver spoon stuck in his mouth. He's really just an ordinary guy you say? I didn't know that having a live-in nanny and attending a private prestigious high school was the norm for most Ontarian upbringings. And we should relate to him because he tries to stretch the life out of his disposable contact lenses? Please!
John Tory may himself maintain the title of 'progressive' but that doesn't mean the rest of his 'team' shares his beliefs. He may also want to go back to the days of Bill Davis but his appearances with Mr. Harris and the actions of the rest of his party suggest otherwise.
The only thing John Tory has been consistent on is his vague promises accompanied by a lack of plan for their feasible execution.
July 13, 2007 | by mepa85Why take the stairs with the common folk when you can ride the Great Glass elevator to the top like Mr. Tory.
Despite the attempts to make John Tory appear to Ontarians that he is the common man, there is nothing like his life that reflects the average Ontarian.
A live-in nanny is not the same as leaving your child at a Day Care facility while parents bustle off to work to maintain a comfortable standard of living. Going to exclusive, private schools does not reflect the plight of a student that has to share a textbook with a classmate due to cuts that the PC party made to education.
It’s easy to claim that John is in touch with Ontarians, but like his platform he is going to have extreme difficulty convincing the people that what he claims doable.
Mr. Tory's plan to make himself the common man is to drain the public education system and put the money back into private/denominational school systems. This will take away money that is desperately needed in Public School systems used by the vast majority of Ontarians.
Mr. Tory may himself be Progressive, but as Mr. Kinsella points out; he is merely a "Trojan Horse" a mere vehicle to fool Ontarians into electing a government committed to stripping the social welfare, health and education systems. These institutions are what equalizes Ontarians and allows the poorest members of society to at least on some level be on par with Mr. Tory even if there bank accounts and inheritance say otherwise. Mr. Tory, the man of the people as he wants us to believe, will, if elected, ensure that the people get what they asked for a return to the Common Sense Revolution of cuts which will effectively tip the scales that struggle to ensure that all Ontarians have access to education, health care and clean water, back in favour of those that can afford to pay for it without assistance. Those are the people that Tory is in touch with.
July 13, 2007 | by KairoThose people don't take the stairs; they ride large ornate elevators to their penthouse offices on Bay Street. That's what Tory portrays as the average life in Ontario.
I was in school when Mr Tory"s party was last in power and let me tell you it wasn't fun. Harris made our teachers go on strike because he was always fighting with them, we didn't have any books and the schools were dirty because there wasn't any money to clean them up. Mr Tory is part of that party and he and his party will never get my vote because of what they did in our schools
July 14, 2007 | by sam_baseballSeem to me that the average guy or gal has little idea how to apply, manage, or wield the machines of Government, either. Thus we have the rather irrational comments about Mr Tory.
In fact, how many of you voted in the last Municipal or Provincial election? In Toronto the turnout was pitiful...and the non-voters are the most vociferous whiners, methinks.
Bob Dylan is not quite correct..."things have NOT changed" for the better in Toronto. Mr Tory would have met the challenges of a big city far better than the current ditherer. Imagine, blocking the building if a bridge to an operating Airport. One disaster there (Heaven forbid) and 'they' will blame the fact that the Airport exists rather than the absence of a bridge to speed assistance.
Simply attending a front page issue (murder victims) where young people were killed is a human kindness than is to be lauded, no matter one's position or aspirations. It helps make a connection. A blind person would understand...for they see no pigmentation in another's skin.
As for the obviously targeted comments about the schools...examine where the money has gone and you will realize why a school is dirty.
Teachers are (now) highly paid with excellent perks and benefits...fine with me if the results are excellent at graduation time...but they are NOT.
Get a grip, whiners and complainers...Mr Tory will do better than McGuinty or whomever runs that other party has done.
July 15, 2007 | by stereokarterCall it intuition or just a wild guess, but I'm guessing a lot of these comments originated from within the Ontario Liberal Party headquarters. I know, I know - it's a wacky idea.
Either that, or it's amazing that your average Toronto Life reader can regurgitate Liberal Party talking points so well ...
July 17, 2007 | by PurpleFlounderOur family votes Conservative; however, we are considering a change provincially. I agree with many of the posts that John Tory cannot relate to the average family's concerns. He is born into a privileged situation wherein business and profit trumps social morality. I have spent many years seeking social justice for ordinary people against white collar crime in the life insurance industry. Those very companies whose administrators have defrauded millions of policyholders (Vanishing Premiums issue, London Life & Desmarais' removal of $180million from policyholders' assets) are represented by none other than Tory's. I do not believe John Tory would investigate these matters on behalf of ordinary people any more than McGuinty would. I had to write to Eliot Spitzer in New York to see some real justice on major issues that effect Canadians too. While in Ontario the Ontario Securities Commission had to be given a court order requested by the Federal Government to reveal who the scammers were in the timing issue. It would take a lot of convincing for me to change my mind on voting for John Tory.
July 18, 2007 | by SunnnybearI am a really blue social justice advocate who needs to see some real moral fibre in the person for whom I will vote.
So let me get this straight, since John Tory was born to privilege and attended elite schools, he is automatically unsuited to run this province. This logic always escapes me. Should we then elect a homeless man simply because he would understand the plight of the homeless, are addicts the only ones who can offer help to those addicted, are only immigrant candidates suitable to speak to immigrant issues.
What happened to the idea of the best person for the job. The one who we believe would provide strong leadership to the province in case of an emergency. Why would we not want a leader that has had the benefit of a lifetime of the best education and experience to lead us,it might be helpful to consider these positives rather than negatives. If you are sick, do you not want the best trained doctor, if you need financial advice do you not seek out the best trained professionals for their advice. Why is it any different in this situation.
I have never voted for a conservative candidate, however, intend to support Mr. Tory in the upcoming election because I feel that I can trust him. I am tired of McGuinty's constant smirk when speaking and feeling that he could not give us an answer that was not first vetted by his staff.
I go to work everyday and am not wealthy and like most people I strive to make a better life for myself and my family and don't think that the current government offers the best possible path for that. Much like the current Toronto council, the current provincial government asks me to pay more in taxes yet does not do what we all must before spending more, cut my spending in order to afford to spend in another area.
July 18, 2007 | by blackdogIt is funny how most of the names posted on these feeds could have the title "Young Liberal Crony" underneath them. Let me be quite frank, I'm a Progressive Conservative, a member of the PC Youth Wing executive actually and these are just some of my comments.
July 19, 2007 | by simunovickWhile I would never tell you that John is an angel or that he will solve all the ills of the province, I will say that when he tells you he is going to do something, he will do it. His record proves this beyond any doubt. What excites me most about Mr. Tory is that he left this so called “life of privilege” to serve the public, to make Ontario a better place.
I have a hard time believing any comments from people who could support someone like Dalton McGuinty who promises one thing, does another and then calls it something else. I mean the list could go on forever: coal fired energy plants, autism, class sizes, 407 tolls, taxes, budget deficits, gridlock, and school closings. This is McGuinty’s record; it is a record of failing to deliver. He has tones of great intelligent people surrounding him, even in his cabinet…he is even a very smart man, yet he couldn’t get the job done. See in real life, you have a job interview and you get the job and when you don’t do it you get fired. It’s really a simple concept….you can’t expect support from people when you fail to deliver.
I’d never slander Mr. McGuinty as people on this forum have slandered Mr. Tory – I will only use facts. And yes, you could say it’s a fact that Mr. Harris and Mr. Eves were once leaders of the same party Mr. Tory now leads, but the difference is this - it is not the same party. Aside from a few people and a few wacky candidates (who will be tossed to the back bench), this is a progressive party, filled with progressive people looking forward to turning a page and finally offering the people of Ontario good government. This excites me and I’m sure on October 10 the results will show that it excited a lot of people.
After more resignations then you could count on one hand (again a fact) it’s clear that the fear mongering will soon start, indeed it already has. But what John Tory has is a clean record, and a great slate of candidates. Together, they have a record of proven success and will form a solid team working for the people of Ontario this fall.
I am excited, and I am ready to see what the future holds.
simunovick claims that Tory's PCs are not the same as Harris' or even Eves' PCs. They are the same if not more outrageous and rightwing than ever.
Randy Hillier! He is pushing Tory to adopt policies that reflect his Lanark Landowners' Manifesto, which calls for the abolition of government support for aboringinals, homosexuals, arts, and cities as it stifles the needs of private landowners.
If that is not the same old party I don't know what is. Perhaps the Tories need to reconsider the "Progressive" Image they want to portray. It isn't working and Tory is just showing his true colours.
Let's continue in the legacy of cuts in order to find efficiencies, in Tory's backward looking plan. The Liberal Governnment has found and continues to find effieciencies, that's why they have been able to balance the books unlike any tory party that led this province before.
I am a Liberal and a student of the double cohort. I know directly how cuts can impact and education negatively and I will fight long and hard to ensure future students do not face the same problems we did (26 million lost school days).
On October Tenth, I urge Ontarians to vote alongside me for Dalton McGuinty as he continues to fix the holes left behind by the previous tory government
July 20, 2007 | by KairoThis was an excellent article. John Tory is an all round decent guy. It was awesome that he helped David Miller out of his election debt. Often one will help a friend, but to help your opponent, especially when you're the loser, is a sign of character that I've never seen before. The ingenuity showed with the contact lenses is something we need in government. I will gladly vote for him.
July 21, 2007 | by TampaI worked in an entirely different department at Rogers, but John saw my work and made a point of telling my division vice president and my manager what a great job he thought I was doing.
July 25, 2007 | by RRLots of people grew up with opportunity and didn't do anything with it.
Shame so many comments here are obvious shallow (and nasty) McGuinty supporters. He's a nice man who was not just polite but interested in what people were doing at the company - and he took the time to ensure I got recognition for a lot of hard work.
This article was spot on, and frankly I miss our morning chats in the elevator.