A longstanding feud between Mayor Rob Ford and a Toronto newspaper is headed for the desk of the city's integrity commissioner.
In a front page editorial published Thursday, the Toronto Star announced that they would file a formal complaint over Ford's refusal to provide the paper with any official press releases or itineraries.
Written by John Honderich, chair of the TorStar board of governors, the editorial suggested that Ford has been freezing out the Star since it published a controversial story during the 2010 election campaign.
The story, originally subject to legal action by Ford, concerned an altercation the mayor had with a high school football player while a coach at Newtonbrook Secondary School in North York in 2001.
"We don't expect a ruling that says the mayor must speak to us, but we should have equal access to public documents," Star Spokesperson Bob Hepburn told CP24 Friday. "Rob Ford has been waging a war with the Toronto Star ever since the election. It's been described by the head of the city hall press group, one of our competitors, as an ‘abuse of power'."
In the past the mayor's office has said that it will not speak to or distribute official communications to the Star until it prints an official apology on its front page, something the mayor's brother Doug reiterated to reporters gathered at city hall Thursday.
Hepburn said that won't be happening.
"We stand by our story," he said.
It is not known how long it will take Integrity Commissioner Janet Leiper to deliver a ruling, but her decision will be binding.
Ivor Shapiro, Chair of the Ryerson School of Journalism, told CP24 he expects a ruling in favour of the Star.
"There is a difference between a politician as a human being and an elected official who has an office in government," he said. "As an office, the mayor has an obligation to share information with anybody, with any citizens and with any medium for reaching citizens."
Shapiro said the mayor has every right to choose who he speaks with, but suggested official press releases are another matter.
"It looks to me like the mayor may not have thought clearly enough about the distinction between himself as a human being and his office," he said.
Leiper is in the second year of a five year term. On top of deciding whether or not members of council and various boards have violated the a city code of conduct she is also available to provide advice on how to improve ethics within city hall.
