Rob Who?

Premier Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly on Tuesday further sidelined scandal-plagued Mayor Rob Ford by holding a cordial, largely symbolic meeting at Queen’s Park.

“We want to have a good working relationship and today was the beginning of that,” Wynne told a massive media throng outside her second-floor office in the legislative assembly.

Kelly said he wanted to let Wynne know “that she has a stable, reliable partner” in the City of Toronto.

“At city hall, we now have a stable, calm and reasonable government,” the deputy mayor said, noting transit and social housing were discussed during the 40-minute closed-door session.

“It’s not symbolism. This is work that has been assigned to us and we’re going to do it as expeditiously and as conscientiously, as productively, as possible,” he emphasized.

The meeting was the first between Wynne and Kelly since city council last month voted overwhelmingly to strip Ford of most of his powers and much of his office budget in the wake of the crack-smoking scandal.

Toronto’s embattled mayor made headlines around the world after the Star and Gawker revealed the existence of a video of him apparently smoking the illegal drug.

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Ford denied for months that he used crack, but admitted to it after Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair confirmed the video existed.

Despite being politically emasculated, he was defiant when asked about the Wynne-Kelly summit.

“I’ve sent my letter and I think my letter was pretty straightforward,” Ford said, referring to a letter of complaint he sent Wynne on Monday.

“I’ve called the premier last month and asked for a meeting; for whatever reason, they didn’t want to meet with me. That’s fine. That’s their prerogative. They can go ahead and meet. Last time I checked, I was elected as mayor. And that’s all I have to say,” he said.

In his letter, Ford told Wynne he believed “it would be most appropriate for you to meet with the elected mayor of Toronto on these matters, which affect our city as a whole,” given that he was the “elected representative of Toronto residents and chief executive officer of the City of Toronto.”

The mayor said he hasn’t spoken with Kelly since city council transferred most of his powers to the deputy mayor.

When asked about his current relations with his former deputy, Ford said: “You know what? He’ll be getting a Christmas card. Everybody will be getting a Christmas card from me.”

Meanwhile, Toronto city manager Joe Pennachetti defended his staff for helping Kelly prepare for the tête-à-tête with Wynne.

“As the city manager I can only deal with the realities that the leaders of the levels of government wish to desire. So the premier has decided to deal with the deputy mayor,” said Pennachetti.

“We have provided assistance to the deputy mayor for the meeting, as we would always do for the mayor.”

Wynne, for her part, shrugged off Ford’s concerns about being marginalized, but repeatedly dodged questions over whether she would ever again meet with the mayor.

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“I’m here and have the meeting with Deputy Mayor Kelly because he is the representative of council,” said the premier, who uttered Ford’s name only once in a 12-minute news conference in both English and French.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak suggested Wynne’s meeting with Kelly was designed to change the channel from problems dogging her Liberal government, like the cancelled gas-fired power plants debacle.

Tory MPP Lisa MacLeod (Nepean-Carleton) went further, saying it was a “distraction.”

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