Random Access

What’s more of a political rarity than an outbreak of modesty from Brian Mulroney?
How about a chance to run for a seat on Mississauga council that’s not held by an incumbent?
How about a chance to run for two seats on Mississauga council that aren’t held by incumbents?
That’s what’s going to happen in a little more than 13 months when Mississaugans go to the polls to elect a council composed of a dozen members, rather than the 10 who have been in place since the City was created in 1974.
Change on City council seems to take place one seat at a time.
Essentially, the only way you can lose your seat is to be convicted of municipal corruption (Cliff Gyles) or to make an enemy of the old grey mayor who ain’t what she used to be. The latter fate befell councillors such as Larry Taylor and Ken Dear in years past.
It is only when a councillor retires that new seat generally become available, and generally one at a time. That’s how George Carlson got the Ward 6 seat in 2000, when David Culham moved on to the Ontario Municipal Board. And, it’s how Carmen Corbasson got her boss’ job in 1994, when Harold Kennedy retired.
Katie Mahoney and Pat Saito have been on council since 1992, Frank Dale and Nando Iannicca since 1988 and Pat Mullin and Maja Prentice since 1985.
“If you are serious, here is your shot,” says Iannicca, a keen observer of the inner machinations of politics at all levels.
Of course, the sitting councillors will be watching anxiously to see if any future would-be mayors put themselves forward in the open seats, which will be Ward 10 (Churchill Meadows and Lisgar, Osprey) and Ward 6 (Erindale Woodlands, Creditview and East Credit).
“I’ve made lots of new friends and I can have all the free coffee I want,” jokes Carlson, whose ward has been essentially divided in two. He’s running in the northern half. His magnanimous new friends are would-be candidates who want to pick his brains before they consider putting forward their names after Jan. 1.
If there are any big names out there who want to scare off the competition, they are likely to register quickly in the new year to try to scare off competitors.
Unfortunately, we are likely to see a repeat of the 2003 scenario where Eve Adams emerged from an unwieldy field of 21.
Many people are wondering if either Steve Mahoney or Carolyn Parrish, who have both indicated their interest in the mayoralty if and when Hazel McCallion ever steps down, will run.
Possible, but highly unlikely. Mahoney already knows the job, obviously. If he wants to serve again, he probably just rolls over one morning and asks Katie to retire. She probably tells him life’s a lot more interesting at higher levels of government and goes back to sleep.
As for Parrish, she sounded as if she truly hadn’t considered the possibility when I put it to her recently. She was probably too busy making up her mind about whether to run as an independent in the next federal election, or writing a fresh letter to the editor to The Toronto Star.
Any “name” candidate who thinks winning either of these wards will be a cakewalk should think again.
“Anyone who treats this as a quick stepping stone to the mayoralty will be judged harshly,” says Iannicca.
Even though he may have his own ulterior motives for making that statement, it’s undoubtedly the truth.
Next up: potential candidates.