Rob Ford came out Tuesday accusing his mayoral rivals of being unable to answer questions.

Ford’s claim was greeted with guffaws from the John Tory and Olivia Chow campaigns which responded by pointing out the embattled mayor’s own repeated refusals to answer questions from Toronto Police or the media.

A day after the mayor and his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, caused a ruckus ahead of Monday night’s debate as they argued with event organizers, Ford was claiming the event was “biased” and taking shots at Tory and Chow.

“John Tory — he’ll never answer a question,” Ford told reporters Tuesday. “Olivia Chow, John Tory will never give you a straight answer, they never have.

“At least (David) Soknacki tries but saying his record was better than mine is comical. And Karen (Stintz) she’s trying, at least she speaks the truth.”

Tory campaign spokesman Amanda Galbraith fired back at Ford.

“That’s a bit rich coming from a sitting mayor who still hasn’t explained why he refuses to be interviewed by police about his alleged associations with drug dealers and criminals, or addressed in any substantive way the allegations the integrity commissioner is investigating that the mayor and Doug Ford used city resources to benefit the Ford’s private business,” Galbraith told the Sun.

“If Mayor Ford and Doug Ford have nothing to hide why don’t they answer those questions?

“This is another example of the Ford side show to distract from their failure of leadership.”

She went on to point out Tory faced the media Tuesday morning and answered “every question he got.

“I can’t remember the last time Rob Ford did that,” Galbraith said.

The Chow campaign also shrugged off Ford’s attack.

“That is pretty rich coming from Rob Ford, of all people in the world,” said a Chow campaign spokesman. “Next he’ll be calling on people to resign for bad behaviour in office.”

— With files from Jack Boland

don.peat@sunmedia.ca