For some time now, perfume and cologne companies have marketed their wares as if the wearer would be donning a new character, not just a new scent. High Endurance, Wild, and More Swagger are just some of the options on offer, to which we humbly suggest another, Just Swagger.

Designed especially for the newly-minted Ontario premier, this special edition will embolden its wearer to act and speak for political viewpoints that are light on facts and heavy on bluster, without working up a sweat.

Consider Ford’s rampage through the ongoing Toronto municipal election as a fit of vindictive rage. This failed mayoral candidate threatened to launch the nuclear option — the Canadian Constitution’s Section 33, which allows governments to override judicial rulings — if he did not get his way, something that’s rarely used, certainly never to achieve such petty ends.

It’s legislative bullying, and we couldn’t be more appalled. Particularly because while the provincial government did not invoke Section 33 this time around, the premier is clear that he is willing to go there again, and again, if necessary, on everything from sexual education to cap and trade.

Indeed, even though the bill invoking the clause was set aside after the Ontario Court of Appeal granted a stay pending appeal, the provincial government has left it on the order paper. That means that if someone successfully challenges the province’s changes to Toronto City Council in a court of law, the bill can be voted on at a moment’s notice.

If that happens, we think it should be the Attorney General, not protestors, who should be removed from the legislature in handcuffs. Spending a night in jail might wake her up to the weight of her responsibilities.

You’d be right to think that this is all a bit cuckoo-bananas.

But let’s take a step back from the premier’s antics and the apparent blind and selfish willingness of his caucus to follow his lead. With so much collective energy expended on this Ford-sponsored chaos, we’re neglecting the municipal election at our peril.

In a matter of weeks, we’ll elect a mayor, councillors, and school board trustees. And this is no small decision. We need to deliberate on John Tory’s record and take a measure of Jennifer Keesmaat to determine which candidate should have our vote for mayor.

With one councillor incumbent in the old system running to the south of our coverage area, we need to consider whether Mike Layton, the second incumbent, should be granted another term, albeit for the new system, or if a new face should stand in his place. And there’s a whole new batch of trustee candidates to evaluate.

Issues that need to be aired include affordable housing, transit, property taxes, safe-injection sites to help combat the opioid crisis, homelessness, pedestrian safety, bike lanes, the privatization of city services, and whether our infrastructure can support all of Toronto’s intensive growth.

We must remain focused on these issues, carefully evaluating the candidates and their platforms, so we can thoughtfully exercise our democratic right to vote on October 22. We can’t be distracted by the Doug Ford show — its scent may be strong, but at the end of the day, it’s just a lot of hot air.

READ MORE EDITORIALS: 

EDITORIAL: A lost cause worth fighting for (Aug./Sept. 2018)

EDITORIAL: Reclaiming our city (Summer 2018)

EDITORIAL: City staff ignore bike lanes (July 2018)

EDITORIAL: The market has no moral compass (Election Special 2018)

EDITORIAL: Lessons to be learned from Excessive Force (Spring 2018)

EDITORIAL: A social contract is a precious thing (March 2018)

EDITORIAL: Intolerance leading to Quebec’s decline (Dec. 2017)

EDITORIAL (Nov. 2017): Student safety suffers as trustees cave

EDITORIAL: Pandering to religious intolerance (October 2017)

EDITORIAL: Bike lanes, good for business (Fall 2017)

EDITORIAL: Don’t sacrifice safety for political gain (August 2017)