TORONTO

Mayor Rob Ford’s former deputy mayor is “disappointed” he’s poised to be replaced by Chris Stockwell.

Progressive Conservative MPP Doug Holyday told the Toronto Sun Tuesday he’s not impressed Ford and five councillors on the Etobicoke York community council voted to select Stockwell as the preferred candidate to replace him in Etobicoke Centre (Ward 3).

Holyday give up his city council seat after winning a provincial byelection in the Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding. City council will have final say on the appointment next week.

Holyday had endorsed Etobicoke resident Peter Leon to hold the seat until the municipal election next year. Leon didn’t receive one vote from any of the councillors during the three ballots it took to select Stockwell.

“I’m a little disappointed,” Holyday said. “(Leon’s) got great community credentials and would have done a great job.”

Holyday said he hopes council will consider Leon for the appointment. If city councillors picked him, they would be making the unprecedented move of rejecting the community council’s recommendation for a council appointment.

Both the mayor and his brother Councillor Doug Ford supported Stockwell.

“I didn’t talk to the mayor about this but I am surprised,” Holyday said.

Once a prominent fixture in provincial politics, Stockwell resigned in 2003 from the cabinet of former PC premier Ernie Eves and later from Queen’s Park after he came under fire for expenses.

His resignation came after receiving an opinion from Ontario’s integrity commissioner on his expenses for a trip to Europe.

“I guess Chris is going to have to explain to somebody what happened to his position provincially,” Holyday said.

Before the vote, the committee heard from around 28 of the 45 candidates who had put their name forward for the council appointment.

Stockwell — who also served municipally as a member of the now defunct Etobicoke and Metro councils in the 1980s — gave a less than one-minute speech to the committee.

“I know the community quite well,” Stockwell said. “I think I understand the issues. I think there is no learning curve.”

Mayor Ford said he voted for Stockwell because he has “the most political experience to represent the people in Ward 3.

“We need the experience and that’s why I voted for Chris Stockwell,” Ford said.

“You have to be a unique person to go through what we go through.”

The Ford family feuded with Stockwell at one time.

In 1998, Stockwell beat Doug Ford Sr. — the father of Rob and Doug — for the Progressive Conservative nomination in the then-newly formed riding of Etobicoke Centre.

At the time, Rob Ford accused Stockwell’s campaign of “playing games” and running a “dirty” nomination fight, allegations Stockwell denied.

“It is very sad,” Ford said back in 1998. “We heard rumours how these people work. It is a dirty game when you go up against these guys.”

— With Sun files