Mayor Rob Ford wasn't looking for a handout when he spoke with Premier Dalton McGuinty today, according to a member of his inner circle.
Coun. Doug Ford made an appearance on LeDrew Live tonight and said the mayor's second meeting with McGuinty since he took office wasn't about receiving additional funding for the Sheppard subway extension, as has been reported.
"They were not talking about new money, but money that was promised," he said. "It was very cordial from what I understand."
In March, the city and the province came to terms on a $12.4 billion plan to extend the Sheppard subway line and build a new light rail line. Under the terms of the deal, the province assumed the cost of constructing an $8.2-billion light rail line that will run underneath Eglinton Avenue from Black Creek Drive to the existing Scarborough Rapid Transit line at Kennedy Station while the city took on the $4.2-billion cost of extending the Sheppard subway line in both directions - west to Downsview Station and east to the Scarborough Town Centre.
Speaking from a fundraising dinner for the provincial PC party Wednesday night, Ford said his brother isn't necessarily interested in the province forking over more money as much as he is interested in their help in acquiring federal funding.
"Rob doesn't expect an answer before the election. He's not making this an election issue whatsoever," he said. "He is simply looking out for the best interest of the taxpayers of Toronto by delivering a great transit system to the residents of Scarborough and North York just like we promised."
Earlier in the day Rob Ford vowed to hold similar discussions with PC Leader Tim Hudak and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath prior to the election.
He described his 55 minute meeting with McGuinty as a "good conversation" that touched on not only subways, but also day care spaces, public housing and public health nurses.
On Wednesday night Doug Ford said he was planning to discuss the meeting more with his brother in the coming days.
"I haven't had a chance to sit down and talk with Rob at length, but I will follow up with him tonight like I do every night," he said.
