John Tory for a long time seemed like your archetypal career politician; adept at avoiding scandal, and keeping his private life out of the public eye. And so the recent revelation that the thrice-elected mayor engaged in a romantic affair with a former employee — his subordinate at the time — was shocking to say the least.

On top of tarnishing his public image, the scandal has thrown the Toronto political sphere into a state of disarray. Tory, with his newly acquired ‘Strong Mayor Powers’, had an ambitious agenda for his third term, including the passage of a contentious budget that’s due to be debated in council this week.

Will Tory's opponents capitalize on the scandal to impose their own will onto the future of the city? And who might end up in the mayor’s seat, after what promises to be the most compelling Toronto municipal election in nearly a decade?

GUEST: Ben Spurr, reporter with The Star’s City Hall Bureau

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