TORONTO

Mayor Rob Ford may have trouble recalling some of his after-hour adventures but citizens would be able to recall him easily enough if PC MPP Randy Hillier’s private member’s bill becomes law.

Hillier has introduced Bill 124 which would empower citizens to recall a politician with a petition signed by 25% of voters.

A new election would be triggered and the recalled candidate would be eligible to run.

Although the bill currently would apply only to provincial politicians, Hillier said he’s prepared to amend it to include municipal representatives too.

“I think the behaviour and the actions of the provincial legislature and politicians hasn’t been consistent with the expectations of the electorate for a number of years,” Hillier said Thursday. “One only has to look at the gas plants scandal and a host of other scandalous behaviour with taxpayers money. I thought there had to be a mechanism for people to express themselves and to be engaged and in some way to replace those politicians who weren’t performing to their expectations.”

Voters in Toronto are visibly frustrated with Ford and mayors in London and Rockland are facing criminal charges, so he is prepared to amend his bill to include municipal politicians, he said.

Premier Kathleen Wynne said she’ll look at any legislation brought forward but has no plan to pursue recall law.

Municipal Affairs Minister Linda Jeffrey said the province would have to have a conversation with all municipalities.

Even then, it’s unlikely the bill would become law.

Jeffrey said she is a big fan of regularly scheduled elections and is concerned that recall legislation could be abused.

“I think that recall is very popular in the United States,” she said. “I’m not so sure it would work in Ontario.”

Hillier said the premier and minister are being “willfully blind” to the problems with politicians.

He’s not worried about the implications of such legislation even though it would affect him as well, Hillier said.