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“I’m quite excited,” she said. “At two o’clock today I registered to run for mayor. It’s quite exciting to look forward to a 12th term as mayor of the best city in Canada. Think how fortunate that in these lean times, we are debt-free.”

But then she got to the crux: She has lost control of Mississauga City Council. Today, she routinely loses votes at council. Her opponents have convened a public inquiry to look at a land deal involving her son. She will likely be re-elected this October, but she knows she can do little to further Mississauga if the current crop of councillors also win.

“I am asking the citizens of Mississauaga to support candidates who are willing to work together,” she pleaded. “Please give me a council that is going to take this city to great heights. What we need in the next four years is a team approach.”

With that, much of the crowd rose to its feet, shouting, “Four more years!”

Many candidates filled the room, but Ms. McCallion showed no clear strategy for making sure the electorate chooses the right ones; she said, “I will not insult the public by telling them who to vote for.”

So who should they vote for? Both Patrick Mendes and Anannya Majumder were there seeking votes, both running against Councillor Sue McFadden in Ward 10; in Ward 11, both Christine Simundson and Luz del Rosario showed up at the event to campaign against George Carlson, the incumbent.

Ms. McCallion insisted that “teamwork” doesn’t mean the councillors have to agree with her all the time; she simply insists that the current gang is “dysfunctional. I have a file of emails,” she added. “If I ever distributed it to the press you would be shocked, what some councillors have written to me.”