Premier Kathleen Wynne will meet Tuesday with Toronto deputy mayor Norm Kelly, bypassing Mayor Rob Ford after his admission of smoking crack and off-colour comments about oral sex.

News of the meeting, where Kelly said he plans to raise “a wide range of issues,” prompted a tirade from Ford’s brother, Doug.

Officials said the noon-hour tête-à-tête will be the first chance Wynne has had to chat with Kelly since Ford — who is under investigation by police for links to an alleged drug dealer and has become the butt of jokes on late-night comedy shows — was stripped of all but ceremonial powers in a recent vote by city council.

“It’s a get-to-know-you meeting,” said a source in the premier’s office, noting Wynne is a Toronto MPP from Don Valley West. “She wants to show solidarity with the city of Toronto and she wants to meet him.”

“We’re interested in knowing whether the city council is operating as it should. If the deputy mayor is bringing forward any requests, we’re not aware of that.”

Kelly told reporters at city hall that “I’ll be doing my best to make some points on behalf of the city of Toronto.”

Wynne has left the door open for city council to ask for assistance from the province in the wake of the Ford scandal, which put city hall at the centre of worldwide media attention.

The premier described Ford’s behaviour — including a video of him inebriated and threatening to kill someone — as “truly disturbing.”

Councillor Doug Ford, who has mused about running in Etobicoke North for Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak in a provincial election expected next spring, appeared annoyed that his brother has been bypassed.

“So I guess it’s going to be a meeting of two unelected officials running the largest city and largest province,” Ford said Monday, calling for provincial and municipal elections.

“I’ve got an idea: why don’t we go to the polls tomorrow, why don’t we do a two-for-one deal— the unelected premier and the unelected deputy mayor. Why don’t we just go to the polls and let the people decide like a true democracy rather than this coup d’état that’s happening.”

Wynne came to power last February after being selected Liberal leader by party activists following the resignation of her predecessor Dalton McGuinty.

Kelly took issue with Doug Ford’s jab.

“Residents of Scarborough—Agincourt voted for me, residents of Premier Wynne’s riding voted for her, and having been voted, we each were voted into a system that chooses positions inside that system. So everything was done democratically and legitimately.”

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

“I think there are a number of Christmas wishes that I’ll be taking there with me.”

With files from Daniel Dale and Betsy Powell

Read more about: