Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne to ensure city council has the power to sideline Toronto Mayor Rob Ford.

Distancing himself from his one-time political ally, Hudak on Monday said Ford, an admitted crack-user under investigation by police for links to an accused drug dealer, “needs to get healthy” and should take a leave to do so.

“The situation is unique. What would I do if I were in the premier’s chair? Ultimately, if the city says they legitimately cannot function then we do have an obligation at the provincial level within the powers that we have to ensure some clarity and stability,” the Tory leader said.

That echoes what Wynne said last Thursday when she suggested Queen’s Park would be open to giving councillors “new tools” to deal with Ford if city council asked.

“Right now it looks like the city is taking its own action. I’m not going to speculate on the nature of the request (from council), a request that hasn’t even happened yet,” said Hudak.

“Look, there’s no doubt that we have to get this behind us. This is a sad, tragic situation.”

He also insisted that the controversy engulfing the Progressive Conservative mayor, which has garnered global media coverage, has not harmed the party’s reputation in Ontario.

Tory MPP Doug Holyday (Etobicoke—Lakeshore), Ford’s former deputy mayor, worried council was going “too far” by “beating up” on the mayor.

“As far as coming here to the province to ask us to straighten out that situation, I think they have the power to straighten it out themselves and they should,” said Holyday, warning it’s a “very slippery slope.”

Last week, the premier said “if council were to clearly indicate that they lack the ability to function as a result of this matter, the province would respond to a request from council to be provided new tools, depending on what that request might be.”

“Because of the extraordinary and unique nature of this type of intervention, I would consult with the other party leaders to see if our legislature could move unanimously if required,” she said Thursday.

The next day, Wynne clarified that by suggesting there need not be all-party agreement on new tools — which are being studied by provincial lawyers — for her to proceed.

But NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is less hawkish than Wynne or Hudak, saying “the appropriate thing is to take a wait-and-see approach.”

“Give the city council their opportunity to decide where they want to go. That’s their decision to make,” said Horwath.

“The best thing to do is to just stand down. Let them have an unencumbered debate and discussion about the direct that they want to take as a city,” she said.

“When something comes here we’ll deal with it in the appropriate way.”

Meanwhile, Municipal Affairs Minister Linda Jeffery was dismissive of Ford’s plea for a snap municipal election before next October’s scheduled vote.

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“That’s not something we’re looking at,” said Jeffrey, adding council is acting lawfully as it moves to strip Ford of his powers.

“Right now what they are doing is within in their purview . . . entirely within their responsibility.”

With files from Rob Ferguson

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