Josh Matlow

Matlow was born in Toronto, Ontario. His father, Ted Matlow, was a federally appointed judge and his mother, Elaine Mitchell, was a retired high school teacher.{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Ryan |date=2020-04-02 |title=Laughing in the face of dark times — lessons for life with COVID-19 |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2020/04/02/laughing-in-the-face-of-dark-times-lessons-for-life-with-covid-19.html |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=The Toronto Star |language=en}} He studied political science at Concordia University and attended L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France.{{Cite web |last=Vukets |first=Cynthia |date=2010-11-23 |title=City hall rookies 2010: Josh Matlow |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2010/11/23/city_hall_rookies_2010_josh_matlow.html |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=Toronto Star |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Veillette |first=Eric |date=2014-01-24 |title=A drink with Councillor Josh Matlow |url=https://www.thestar.com/life/2014/01/24/a_drink_with_councillor_josh_matlow.html |access-date=2023-04-09 |website=The Toronto Star |language=en}}

Before entering politics, Matlow was an actor. He performed in festivals, did comedy improv and television commercials.

Matlow was a co-director of Earthroots, an Ontario environmental non-governmental organization. He also worked for the Canadian Peace Alliance, organizing against the war in Iraq.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/anti-war-protests-held-around-the-globe-1.369966 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801061938/http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2003/01/18/demos_war030118.html |url-status=live |archive-date=2012-08-01 |title=CBC News - Canada - Anti-war protests held around the globe |publisher=CBC News |date=2003-01-19 |access-date=2010-09-09 }}

Matlow has written articles for several local newspapers including the Toronto Sun and Toronto Star. He hosted a call-in radio show on University of Toronto station CIUT, was a weekly contributor and co-host on Toronto talk-radio station AM 640 and CFRB. He hosted a talk radio show called The City with Josh Matlow on Toronto radio station Newstalk 1010 and was a weekly columnist for the Toronto Star.{{cite web |url=https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/members-of-council/councillor-ward-12/ |title=Toronto City Councillors, Councillor Josh Matlow |date=22 August 2017 |publisher=City of Toronto }}

In 2002, at the age of 26, Matlow was asked by the Ontario Liberal Party to run as their candidate in Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey in a by-election against Progressive Conservative Premier Ernie Eves. He lost by 3,560 votes.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

In 2003, Matlow was elected to the Toronto District School Board as a trustee and re-elected to the same position in 2006. He worked on a number of initiatives including installation of solar panels on school rooftops,{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2007/06/25/toronto_schools_to_power_up_rooftops.html |title=Toronto schools to power up rooftops |work=thestar.com |date=2007-06-25 |access-date=2010-09-09 |first=Catherine |last=Porter}} keeping school pools open,{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/article/413158 |title=Trustee urges more debate on pool closings |work=thestar.com |date=2008-04-10 |access-date=2010-09-09 |location=Toronto |first=Louise |last=Brown}} and helping students to achieve 'economic literacy'.{{cite news|author=Kate Hammer |title=Dollars 'n' sense courses urged |page=A11 |publisher=The Globe and Mail |date=2009-03-24 |location=Toronto}}

In 2008, Matlow spoke out against a proposal to create an Africentric school in Toronto. He instead favoured the widespread implementation of a more 'culturally diverse' curriculum.{{cite web|author=Kate Lunau |url=http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20080131_150113_8040 |title=What's next for Toronto's Africentric school? | Macleans.ca - Canada - Features |publisher=Macleans.ca |date=2008-01-31 |access-date=2010-09-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518175306/http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20080131_150113_8040 |archive-date=2011-05-18 }}

Matlow was first elected during the 2010 Toronto municipal election as the councillor for Ward 22 St. Paul's. In an interview with the Toronto Star following the election, he identified fostering a sense of community as a priority for his ward. He criticized the city's public consultation process, and committed to holding town hall meetings with residents.

He was re-elected in the 2014 election with the highest vote count (24,347) and highest winning percentage (86.2%) of any councillor candidate across the city.{{Cite web |date=2014-11-02 |title=By the numbers: Toronto's 2014 municipal election - Toronto | Globalnews.ca |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/1647879/by-the-numbers-torontos-2014-municipal-election/}} In 2018, Matlow was re-elected in the newly formed Ward 12 Toronto—St. Paul's, beating fellow councillor Joe Mihevc, who represented Ward 21 St. Paul's before his ward and Matlow's were amalgamated.{{Cite web |title=Toronto election 2018: Ward 12 Toronto–St. Paul’s - Toronto {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4545296/toronto-election-2018-ward-12-toronto-st-pauls/ |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=Global News |language=en-US}} He was re-elected in the 2022 election.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-24 |title=Full election night results for Toronto-St. Paul’s including school board trustee races |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/toronto-election/results/2022/10/24/full-election-night-results-for-toronto-st-pauls-including-school-board-trustee-races.html |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=thestar.com |language=en}}

Matlow has been endorsed by the Toronto Star editorial board in the 2010,{{Cite web |date=2010-10-19 |title=Editorial {{!}} The Star's choices for Toronto council, Wards 22-44 |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2010/10/19/the_stars_choices_for_toronto_council_wards_2244.html |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=The Toronto Star |language=en}} 2014,{{Cite web |date=2014-10-20 |title=Editorial {{!}} The Star’s endorsements for Toronto city council: Editorial |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/10/20/the_stars_endorsements_for_toronto_city_council_in_wards_22_to_44_editorial.html |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=The Toronto Star |language=en}} 2018,{{Cite web |date=2018-10-15 |title=Editorial {{!}} These are the city builders that Toronto needs |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2018/10/15/these-are-the-city-builders-that-toronto-needs.html |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=The Toronto Star |language=en}} and 2022 elections.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-20 |title=Editorial {{!}} The Star’s endorsements for Toronto Council in Wards 9 to 16 |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2022/10/20/the-stars-endorsements-for-toronto-council-in-wards-9-to-16.html |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=The Toronto Star |language=en}}

Matlow initially positioned himself as a political centrist during his first term.{{Cite news |date=2012-02-20 |title=With TTC head Gary Webster likely to be sacked, Karen Stintz asks why now? |language=en-CA |work=The Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2012/02/20/with_ttc_head_gary_webster_likely_to_be_sacked_karen_stintz_asks_why_now.html |access-date=2022-03-14 |issn=0319-0781}}{{Cite web |date=April 27, 2012 |title=Centrist councillors haven't yet settled on priorities |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/centrist-councillors-haven-t-yet-settled-on-priorities-1.1206152 |website=CBC News}}

In a 2011 interview with BlogTO, he proposed contracting out garbage collection services and allowing unions to compete in the tender, citing frustrations during the 2010 strike. He also supported asking the province to declare transit an essential service, which would prohibit workers from striking. Matlow supported the repeal of a vehicle registration tax, calling for a reevaluation of financing relations with the province. He also expressed his dislike of the land transfer tax, however, did not support a repeal as it would leave a large revenue gap in the city budget.{{Cite web |title=Toronto through the eyes of Councillor Josh Matlow |url=https://www.blogto.com/people/2011/02/toronto_through_the_eyes_of_councillor_josh_matlow/ |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=www.blogto.com |language=en}}

Later in his career, Matlow shifted to the left, describing himself as a "pragmatic progressive" in 2023. He has supported issues such as a judicial inquiry of encampment clearings, reducing the police budget, and increasing property taxes to offset a transit fare increase.{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-09-15 |title=Ward 12 — Toronto-St. Paul's |url=https://thelocal.to/ward-12-toronto-st-pauls/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=The Local |language=en-US}}

In his first term, Matlow supported the light rail transit (LRT) proposal over Mayor Rob Ford's proposal to construct a shorter extension of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth to replace the aging Line 3 Scarborough. He refers to the LRT as the "evidence-based" transit option, arguing that it serves more people within walking distance and would have been fully funded, instead of requiring the city to take on additional expenses for a subway extension.{{cite web |last1=Matlow |first1=Josh |date=September 16, 2013 |title=Let's Get Scarborough Transit Back on Track |url=http://joshmatlow.ca/issues-and-policies/transit/1295-my-letter-to-toronto-city-council-.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308152830/http://joshmatlow.ca/issues-and-policies/transit/1295-my-letter-to-toronto-city-council-.html |archive-date=March 8, 2016}}{{Cite web |title=City of Toronto Staff Report, Scarborough Rapid Transit Options: Reporting on Council Terms and Conditions |url=http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2013/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-62259.pdf}} In 2013, city council ultimately decided to proceed with the subway extension.{{Cite web |date=2013-10-08 |title=Scarborough subway confirmed by Toronto council |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/10/08/scarborough_subway_confirmed_by_toronto_council.html |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=The Toronto Star |language=en}}

In February 2015, Matlow raised a number of administrative inquiries relating to ridership, the cost of cancelling the LRT project, as well as proceeding with a subway extension.{{cite news |date=9 February 2015 |title=Answers needed on Toronto's ill-judged Scarborough subway plan: Editorial |work=The Toronto Star |agency= |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/02/09/answers-needed-on-torontos-ill-judged-scarborough-subway-plan-editorial.html |access-date=18 March 2015}} The city manager's response confirmed that city staff did not know how many people will ride the Scarborough subway, where it will go, or how much it will cost.{{cite web |last1=Pennachetti |first1=Joe |title=Re: Administrative Inquiries from Councillor Josh Matlow (IA 3.1-IA3.5) |url=http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/ia/bgrd/backgroundfile-76214.pdf}} In 2018, Matlow called for a judicial inquiry to investigate what he described as "dysfunctional" transit planning, citing lack of information and misinformation that was provided to council.{{Cite web |last=Pagliaro |first=Jennifer |date=2018-04-18 |title=Councillor calls for inquiry into ‘dysfunctional’ Scarborough subway planning |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/04/18/councillor-calls-for-inquiry-into-dysfunctional-scarborough-subway-planning.html |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=The Toronto Star |language=en}}

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Matlow became the first known Canadian politician to go into quarantine on March 9, 2020, after coming into close contact with a person who had tested positive for COVID-19.{{Cite web | url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2020/03/10/city-councillor-on-self-isolation-i-look-forward-to-getting-back-into-the-world-eventually.html |title = City councillor on self-isolation: 'I look forward to getting back into the world eventually'|website = Toronto Star|date = 10 March 2020}}

In 2020, Matlow, along with Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam put forward a motion in Toronto City Council to reduce the Toronto Police Service (TPS) budget by 10 percent ($122 million), reinvest the police budget into community programs, and allow city council to read the line by line police budget they vote on.{{cite news |date=June 8, 2020 |title=Toronto Councillors Put Forward Motion to Reduce Police Budget by 10% |work=CBC |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ont-defund-police-1.5604035}} The motion was defeated.{{cite news |date=August 26, 2020 |title=Toronto Just Voted Not To Defund The Police |work=BlogTO |url=https://www.blogto.com/city/2020/06/toronto-defund-the-police-not/}}

In 2017, the integrity commissioner ruled that Matlow breached the council code of conduct by making claims on a radio show that a city staff member had misled council in 2016. City Manager Peter Wallace asked Matlow to apologize after hearing the interview, which he subsequently did. Following the commissioner's report, Matlow said he was "clearly wrong in pointing at a specific name", but "firmly stand by the concerns" he raised.{{Cite web |last=Jeffords |first=Shawn |title=T.O. councillor scolded by integrity commissioner |url=https://torontosun.com/2017/04/21/to-councillor-scolded-by-integrity-commissioner |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Toronto Sun |language=en-CA}}

In 2018, TTC CEO Andy Byford submitted a complaint to the integrity commissioner, who later ruled that ruled that Matlow again breached the code of conduct when he made comments on a radio show questioning the objectivity of staff's advice.{{Cite web |last=Pagliaro |first=Jennifer |date=2018-06-21 |title=Josh Matlow deserves reprimand for Scarborough subway comments, integrity commissioner says |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2018/06/21/josh-matlow-deserves-reprimand-for-scarborough-subway-comments-integrity-commissioner-says.html |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=The Toronto Star |language=en}}

In 2023, the integrity commissioner ruled that Matlow breached the code of conduct in two separate instances. In the first complaint, he claimed in a tweet that staff had "lied" to him about the opening date of park bathrooms.{{Cite web |last=Spurr |first=Ben |date=2023-03-24 |title=Councillor Josh Matlow should face stiff penalties for tweets critical of city staff, says report |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2023/03/24/councillor-josh-matlow-should-face-stiff-penalties-for-tweets-critical-of-city-staff-says-report.html |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=The Toronto Star |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Rider |first=David |date=2023-03-31 |title=Josh Matlow, Toronto mayoral hopeful and city councillor, reprimanded by his colleagues over tweets criticizing civil servants |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2023/03/31/josh-matlow-toronto-mayoral-hopeful-and-city-councillor-reprimanded-by-his-colleagues-over-tweets-criticizing-civil-servants.html |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=The Toronto Star |language=en}}

The second complaint was filed by Interim City Manager Tracey Cook, who Matlow claimed made a "decisions to omit facts". The commissioner recommended that council dock 10 days of pay from Matlow due to “an escalation” of his misconduct and his history of breaching the code of conduct.

Matlow announced on March 21, 2023, his intention to run for mayor of Toronto in the 2023 by-election.{{Cite web |last=Rider |first=David |date=2023-03-21 |title=Josh Matlow confirms he’s running for mayor |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2023/03/21/josh-matlow-confirms-hes-running-for-mayor.html |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=The Toronto Star |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=March 21, 2023 |title=Longtime city councillor Josh Matlow running to be Toronto's next mayor |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/josh-matlow-mayor-toronto-race-1.6785429 |website=CBC News}} He lost to Olivia Chow on June 26, finishing in 5th place with 35,572 votes (4.91%).{{Cite web |title=City of Toronto - City of Toronto Elections Result |url=https://electionresults.toronto.ca/ |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=electionresults.toronto.ca |language=en-CA}}

In an interview with the Toronto Star, Matlow described his approach as "pragmatic progressive", and committed to improving city finances and services through cost savings and a property tax increase. He noted a city report which identified a $46.5 billion in budget pressures over the next decade, promising to take meaningful action to address it.

He proposed increasing property taxes and introducing a two per cent annual "city works fund" charge. The new fund would generate $78 million per year to be directed towards service and infrastructure improvements, costing the average household an additional $67 a year.

Matlow would pause plans to rename Dundas Street. He has also said he intends to ask council to re-evaluate the plan to rebuild the eastern portion of the Gardiner Expressway, stopping its rehabilitation and replacing it with a less expensive boulevard option. He criticized former deputy mayor Ana Bailão's plan to ask the province to take over the highway, describing it as "unrealistic".

Matlow proposed establishing a $115 million community health and safety fund, which would be spent on programs to combat the root causes of crime, such as through mental health supports. The program would be financed by diverting funding increases to the $1.16 billion police budget for three years. The Auditor General's Office and Toronto Police Services Board would support TPS in finding budgetary efficiencies.{{Cite web |date=April 5, 2023 |title=Matlow proposes capping Toronto police budget at $1.16B for 3 years to fund community health, safety |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/matlow-police-budget-1.6802420 |website=CBC News}}

{{BLP sources section|date=June 2023}}

{{Election box begin | title=2002 by-election for riding of Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey}}

{{CANelec|ON|Progressive Conservatives|Ernie Eves |15,288|46.59|-}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Josh Matlow|11,728|35.74|-}}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Doug Wilcox|2,633|8.02|-}}

{{CANelec |ON |Green |Richard Procter |2,017 |6.15}}

{{CANelec|ON|FCP|Dave Davies|1,025|3.12|-}}

{{CANelec|ON|Independent|John Turmel|120|0.37| }}

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Category:Ontario Liberal Party candidates in Ontario provincial elections

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