The municipal election is less than a month away and mayoral candidates Andrea Horwath and Keanin Loomis battled it out in a televised debate last night at Hamilton’s Westdale theatre.

In the first hour of the debate, Horwath and Loomis fielded questions from the media panel, including how they would bring more high-paying jobs to the city, whether they support more police, what they will do if the province overrules the decision to maintain the urban boundary.

When the candidates got to question each other and that’s when the debate got a little more intense.

“I don’t think that what we need is more partisan experience, that doesn’t achieve anything,” Loomis said.

“If I every day listened to what a privileged male told me I can or can’t do, what I am or am not qualified for I wouldn’t be able to get up in the morning,” Horwath responded.

Horwath, a career politician frequently pointed out Loomis’ political inexperience, and questioned his qualifications as the former head of the city’s Chamber of Commerce, also taking issue with how long he has lived in Hamilton.

“What gives him, someone who has been here for a couple of years, who’s managed a small organization with a handful of staff and a small budget, the capacity, the knowledge, the understanding to be the mayor of the city of Hamilton, to just walk in?” Horwath asked.

“I think that’s disrespectful to all of the people who live here in Hamilton who weren’t born and raised. I married into Hamilton, I’m lucky enough that I was in a position to be able to move here with my family in 2009,” Loomis responded.

Horwath also questioned his plan to bring 50,000 new residential units to the city,
saying experts are telling her it’s not possible.

Bob Bratina dropped out at the last minute due to a COVID-19 infection, sharing a video message instead.

“This city we love so much is broken, tax dollars are being wasted by the millions, people are living in parks, our streets are unsafe due to violent crime and reckless driving, and women are nervous about going out after dark. Meanwhile, our municipal government has done nothing, completely tied by scandal, secrecy, and the unchecked influence of special interest groups,” Bratina said.

There’s been plenty of reaction to the debate online, Bratina’s reference to special interest groups has raised eyebrows amongst some, including school trustee candidate Ahona Mehdi who called it a reference to the influence of minority groups in the city.

Others are upset by Horwath’s suggestion that Loomis hasn’t lived in Hamilton long enough to qualify.

There are also people disappointed that Indigenous issues were not discussed, nor much discussion of how to combat hate and racism in the city.