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Councillor Ford also weighed in with his questions about the calls.

“Who is paying for Olivia Chow’s telephone town hall meetings?,” asked Councillor Ford. “That’s a serious matter.”

His brother, Mayor Rob Ford, was accused by some councillors of premature campaigning after he put magnets on vehicles in Etobicoke during a community meeting two months ago.

“You guys look into everything we do, why don’t you look into Olivia Chow?,” asked Councillor Ford.

Nathan Rotman, a spokesman for Ms. Chow, said the calls are paid for by the New Democratic Party of Canada and are part of the NDP’s national transit strategy campaign.

“It’s part of a larger campaign happening all over the country,” he said, adding MPs across the country are participating in them and it has nothing to do with a future election.

He said the calls begin with an automated message asking the person on the other end of the phone if they would like to join a telephone town hall. Mr. Rotman said if residents continue, they have a chance to ask a question and participate in a live discussion with other participants.

Mr. Rotman said this isa countrywide campaign, meaning calls are not restricted to just Ms. Chow’s riding.

If she wants to jump out of the gate, let’s make it equal across the board

While Ms. Chow has not confirmed an interest in running for the mayoralty, she has repeatedly said she is considering the possibility.

The mayoral race seems to be on the minds of more than a few politicians these days — Mr. Minnan-Wong included.

“I think that anyone who is considering [running] has to be very careful about their conduct and how they are seen,” said Mr. Minnan-Wong, a member of the Ford executive committee.

When asked if he himself is considering a run for mayor, Mr. Minnan-Wong said: “I haven’t ruled it out.”

Councillor Ford, meanwhile, made it clear his brother is looking forward to officially starting a re-election campaign.

“If she wants to jump out of the gate, let’s make it equal across the board. Let’s start the election now,” he said. “We’re ready.”

With files from Natalie Alcoba and Katrina Clarke