Adam Giambrone announced that he will no longer be running for mayor of Toronto at a press conference Feb. 10/2010.Kevin Van Paassen
Toronto Mayor David Miller leapt to Adam Giambrone's defence Thursday, saying he's proud of the embattled councillor's work as Toronto Transit Commission chair and has no intention of asking him to resign or probing further into what Mr. Miller said is the councillor's private life.
"Chair Giambrone has been leading a remarkable renaissance in public transit in Toronto," he told a roomful of reporters at the Don Mills Brickworks, where he had come to announce funding for green infrastructure projects across the city.
"The test I have for whether someone should be in a leadership role is whether they're succeeding. … The TTC's story is one of tremendous success under his leadership."
Mr. Giambrone announced he's ending his mayoral candidacy in an emotional address late Wednesday morning, barely 48 hours after 20-year-old university student Kristen Lucas came forward claiming to have had an affair with the councillor for more than a year. Ms. Lucas published text messages in which Mr. Giambrone said he had to stay with his long-time partner Sarah McQuarrie for "political" reasons. Mr. Giambrone initially denied his relationship with Ms. Lucas had extended beyond text messages and conversations in public places, and his own campaign team said they were initially in the dark about what he later confessed were multiple affairs over the past year.
"Pierre Trudeau once said that government has no business in the bedrooms of the nation," Mr. Miller said. "I think, frankly, there are areas where the media have no business as well. Adam Giambrone has stood before the people of Toronto, he has accepted responsibility on their actions and he's working with his partner on their private life. And that's his private life. … He's acknowledged he's done something wrong, and he's paid the consequences in front of all the people of Toronto, and probably of Canada."
Mr. Giambrone, a former federal NDP president, was seen in many ways as Mr. Miller's political heir in the 2010 mayoral race - those running and backing his campaign were largely supporters of the current mayor, who said in September he won't run for a third term.
Mr. Miller said he had been in contact with Mr. Giambrone this week, although wouldn't elaborate on what they discussed or whether he advised him about his mayoral candidacy.
The young councillor's exit is "unfortunate," Mr. Miller said, but he added he's confident Torontonians will support a mayoral candidate who continues his own political legacy.
"I thought he had tremendous potential. … But I know Torontonians. I am absolutely certain that Torontonians are going to demand a mayor who supports the city being prosperous, yes, but prosperity being shared in every neighbourhood in this city. I'm sure Torontonians are going to demand a mayor who invests for the future."
"Torontonians will vote for someone like that. … Who else will be running for mayor, I'm sure we'll see."