Karen Stintz, who’s languishing in the polls, launched an attack on right-leaning compatriot John Tory at the first mayoral debate held in Rob Ford’s absence and pitched herself as Ford’s dignified fiscal heir.

The unwieldy and low-energy debate, stretching three hours at city hall Monday, featured nine candidates: the four leaders other than Ford, transit advocate Sarah Thomson, and four long shots who were given equal time.

The primary contenders spent little time in direct combat — and a lot of time silently waiting out the musings of one Erwin Sniedzins, which, he said, rhymes with “pigeons.”

• The Star’s Toronto election 2014 coverage

Stintz was the only leading candidate to depart from her standard script.

The midtown councillor began her remarks by acknowledging, unprompted, that she has stalled at about 5 per cent in the polls, but said she plans to remain on the ballot until voting day. Abandoning her usual focus on Olivia Chow, she quickly pivoted with a jab at Tory, whose supporters she must woo if she hopes to become a serious contender.

“I have something different to offer the city, and it’s called decision-making,” she said.

Stintz later contested Tory’s claim that he would run council more effectively than Ford, saying Tory had problems managing his own caucus when he was provincial Progressive Conservative leader. And regarding a TTC fare freeze, which Tory would not immediately endorse when she first proposed it, she said she doesn’t “need a town hall” to arrive at a position.

Tory, who has reserved most of his indignation so far for Chow and Ford, did not bother to battle back. He rattled off a long list of overbudget city projects from Stintz’s tenure on council, and he promised “a new attitude and a new culture” at city hall.

Chow challenged Tory — who is to deliver a major address on transit Tuesday — on whether he is “serious” about building the downtown relief line subway, his stated policy priority. Tory has repeatedly questioned Chow’s commitment to that project.

Chow, a former NDP MP, continued to employ some of the rhetoric of a fiscal conservative. Touting her proposal to cancel the planned three-stop Scarborough subway extension in favour of the originally planned seven-stop LRT, which is far cheaper, she said the city must “stop wasting money.”

Tory countered that it is “not the time to reignite that debate.”

Chow, Stintz and Thomson expressed opposition to the police practice of stopping and documenting people on the street, known as “carding.” Tory was noncommittal. Soknacki called again for a review of the police budget; he left the debate 50 minutes early, before the carding question was asked.

The debate was organized by the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada. Tory arrived 40 minutes late from a guest-hosting appearance on Newstalk 1010.

Ford, who has taken a leave of absence to get treatment for substance abuse, was discussed at length only twice: when one journalist asked why some people continue to support him, and when another asked the candidates whether they support the gay and lesbian community.

Soknacki, calling Ford’s term a “nightmare,” said the city is “exorcising that ghost.” Tory noted he has called on Ford to resign. Chow said voters are tired of Ford’s “worn-out policies” as well as his scandals.

Stintz, though, offered a ringing endorsement of those policies, saying Ford’s first two years as mayor were “largely successful.” Acting as a kind of surrogate for the absent incumbent, she said most people believe Ford delivered on his campaign promises.

“Not only did I support him on city council, I did the same thing at TTC,” she said.

Soknacki, a right-leaning former councillor, was the most detailed on the subject of accountability. He noted he successfully pushed to forbid councillors from hiring relatives, and he vowed to crack down on members of council who commit breaches of the code of conduct.

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“Come the revolution,” he vowed, council would dock the pay of violators.

When asked how they would improve the Jane-Finch neighbourhood, the leading candidates offered few specifics. Chow and Tory both endorsed “revitalization.” Stintz said she was certain the area would get better when the subway to York University and the Finch West LRT are built.

The other participating candidates were Morgan Baskin, a poised 18-year-old who said she wanted to speak for unrepresented young people; Michael Nicula, who wants to use online referenda to settle debates on all municipal issues; and Dewitt Lee, an energetic marketer and community volunteer.

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