The latest Toronto mayoralty debate got off to a chaotic start Monday night when Rob Ford got into a shouting match with organizers at the entranceway to the East York church.

Volunteers with the Parkview Hills Community Association were upset when the mayor tried to get inside the Presteign-Woodbine United Church on St. Clair Ave. East, at O’Connor Drive, with his driver, Jerry Agyemang, and Doug Ford, his brother and manager.

At one point, Ford muttered that the debate was “biased.”

“All candidates were told they could only bring one person,” said a visibly angry Peter Naccarato after arguing with a red-faced Ford while several uniform police officers stood nearby.

The matter was defused, however, after the other candidates agreed to let Doug inside. He then stood at the back of the basement hall crowded with about 150 residents.

It was a fitting beginning for a debate where civility and the ability to get things done at Toronto’s often dysfunctional and divisive city hall were recurring themes of the evening.

“A civil council is a productive council. Because you believe in civility doesn’t mean that you’re not productive,” said David Soknacki, one of the five leading mayoralty candidates who participated. His cited his record as budget chief under former Mayor David Miller as evidence of his consensus-building skills.

Ford was asked about how he will be able to push his fiscal agenda when his former allies on council, such as Doug Holyday and Mike Del Grande, have either retired or are set to retire.

Ford said he defied critics who said his “lone wolf” reputation would prevent him from pushing his fiscally conservative agenda this term, citing council’s voting to scrap the $60 vehicle registration tax and privatizing garbage in the city’s west end.

But his comment that he will “lead by example” prompted giggling by some audience members.

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Olivia Chow said councillors can learn from each other. “Always there is some kernel of truth in what others are saying,” and Karen Stintz said city hall is not a talk show — referring to John Tory’s former job — nor a “gong show.”

Soknacki asked Tory about his time as leader of the Progressive Conservative party, which he said “does not bode well for bringing people together.”

Tory responded that politics “is a difficult beast to manage” but his track record in business speaks for itself, unlike the current mayor who is “out of gas.”

Candidates were each allowed to ask one another a question, in addition to responding to questions submitted by residents and read out by a panel of journalists.

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