Paul Ainslie

Paul Ainslie
Ainslie in 2010
Toronto City Councillor for (Ward 24) Scarborough-Guildwood
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 1, 2018
Preceded byWard established
Toronto City Councillor for (Ward 43) Scarborough East
In office
December 1, 2006 – December 1, 2018
Preceded byDavid Soknacki
Succeeded byWard abolished
Chair of the Scarborough Community Council
In office
December 1, 2010 – December 31, 2012
Preceded byMichael Del Grande
Succeeded byMichelle Berardinetti
Toronto City Councillor for (Ward 41) Scarborough-Rouge River (interim)
In office
February 1, 2006 – December 1, 2006
Preceded byBas Balkissoon
Succeeded byChin Lee
Personal details
Born (1967-02-04) February 4, 1967 (age 57)
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Political partyIndependent
SpouseJanet Ainslie
Children3
OccupationMunicipal Councillor
Websitewww.paulainslie.com

Paul Ainslie (/ˈeɪnzli/ ⓘ AYNZ-lee; born February 4, 1967) is a city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2006, he was appointed as an interim councillor in ward 41,[1] and was then elected as the councillor for Ward 43 in Scarborough East. On October 22, 2018 he was elected as Councillor for Ward 24 Scarborough-Guildwood.

On February 1, 2006, City Council appointed Ainslie to fill the vacancy in Ward 41 that was created when Bas Balkissoon was elected in a provincial by-election in the riding of Scarborough—Rouge River.[2]

A condition of the appointment was that he would not run as a candidate in the 2006 election. However, when councillor David Soknacki announced his intention not to run in Ward 43, Ainslie put his name forward as a candidate to replace him. Ainslie used to be an executive assistant to Soknacki. Soknacki supported Ainslie's candidacy.[citation needed]

During the election campaign in 2006, a video surfaced which showed Ainslie promising to Toronto City Council not to run. "I will not run in Ward 41, or any other ward in the city."[3] His campaign literature urged voters to "return" him to city hall. He said that his campaign team suggested using the word "re-elect". Ainslie said, "I didn't think it was proper."[4] Despite the controversy, he was elected in Ward 43.[5]

In April 2007, he determined that it costs $20,000 annually to provide councillors and staff at City Hall offices with free coffee every day. He moved a motion in committee to remove the expense, but it failed to pass.[6][7]

During the Rob Ford drug allegation scandal, Ainslie was removed as chair from the city's government management committee and appointed as chair of the parks and environment committee.[8] On October 11, 2013, he resigned from the mayor's executive committee and his role as chair of the parks and environment committee over differences with Ford's longterm strategic direction for the city.[9]

On May 3, 2013, Ainslie was stopped by a RIDE check on Kingston Road and was given a three-day licence suspension.[10][11][12]

  1. ^ Mendleson, Rachel (October 20, 2013). "Paul Ainslie: How a Ford loyalist landed near the top of the mayor's hit list". Toronto Star.
  2. ^ "City Council appointments made for Wards 20 and 41". City of Toronto. February 1, 2006. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  3. ^ Gray, Jeff (October 4, 2006). "Councillor's stand-in breaks promise not to run for office". The Globe and Mail. p. A12.
  4. ^ "Flyer raises eyebrows". Toronto Star. September 28, 2006. p. R2.
  5. ^ "Poll by Poll Results for Ward 43" (PDF). City of Toronto. pp. 147–149. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
  6. ^ "Budget allow for free coffee for councillors". East York Mirror. Inside Toronto. April 4, 2007.
  7. ^ "You could call it a brew ha ha at City Hall". Toronto Star. April 5, 2007.
  8. ^ Church, Elizabeth; Dhillon, Sunny (Jun 10, 2013). "Councillor critical of Rob Ford over drug allegations is off executive committee". The Globe and Mail. Toronto.
  9. ^ "Paul Ainslie quits Rob Ford's executive committee". CBC News. Oct 11, 2013.
  10. ^ "Councillor Paul Ainslie caught in RIDE program".
  11. ^ Armstrong, James (May 23, 2013). "Paul Ainslie admits to 3-day licence suspension". Global News.
  12. ^ "Coun. Paul Ainslie was issued roadside suspension". CBC News. May 23, 2013.