09/25/2026
The 2026 Rogers London Mayoral Debate was last week. I've finally had the chance to watch it in full, and here are my thoughts. I've tried to be as objective as possible, though it's important to note that who I think "won" and "lost" are based on my personal views (obviously).
Short Version: Bronagh Morgan won the debate as a whole, and I think she gave one of the best responses in six of the seven questions (worth noting that I might have found multiple candidates to be 'best' or 'worst' with a question. Josh Morgan, Susan Stevenson, and Kirsten Krose all looked strong throughout the debate. Some candidates made absolutely outrageous comments and statements through the evening (one candidate referred to Farhi as an "Arab Israeli Gunrunner [...] terrorist" while another said he was going to "ship the [homeless] away" and shortly later saying "it's immoral to kick people out to make money". Shots were taken at previous scandals with one candidate vowing never to 'have s*x at city hall'.
Watch the debate for yourself at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03w6ipJyIcs
--
Long Version:
Question 1: What is London doing well to combat homelessness?
A number of candidates failed to answer this question, instead focusing on what was going poorly in London. For that reason, the *worst* responses came from Barry Douglas Jacklin, Tariq Khan, and John Fehrer.
The best responses came from Lawrence-Zachary Howe (London has some great safety nets to catch people that other municipalities lack), Susan Stevenson (London has amazing people and amazing organizations. She also recognizes the wonderful work that non-funded NFPs do in the city), Dan Lenart (London's organizations, naming a few specifically, do excellent work, even if underfunded), and Bronagh Morgan (fantastic front line organizations. "We have good people").
Question 2: What is one specific change, new program, or new strategy that you would champion as mayor to ease the homelessness crisis?
The worst answers here go to Barry Douglas Jacklin (who will "get rid of the homeless" and "ship them away"), Tariq Khan (he will plead his case to the government, nothing specific), and Lawrence-Zachary Howe (demand change and if the province doesn't give us more funding, to pull all funding back from social services and let the province deal with the fallout).
The best answer to this question was given by Kirsten Krose. She noted that we need better coordination between city hall and individual organizations to better ensure we're not letting people slip through the cracks.
Question 3: Municipal taxes were increased by 25% over the last four years, including a significant increase to the LPS budget. Was this an appropriate increase in that timeframe and what increase should Londoners expect if you're mayor?
Frankly, there were a lot of worst answers to this question. Any candidate who promised a 0% tax increase or a specific numbered tax increase were being unrealistic and show a lack of understanding around municipal budgets. In particular, Barry Douglas Jacklin claimed that his plan -- without specifics -- would save the city $100 million per year and that that would equate to a $1 billion savings over 4 years. The math isn't mathing here. Lawrence-Zachary Howe also said that tax increases prove "incompetence", which (again) shows a lack of understanding around the importance of taxes and why they sometimes need to increase.
The best responses to this question were Kirsten Krose and Bronagh Morgan, both saying that while the crime data LOOKS better with the increased police funding, people still don't feel safe. Course correction is needed.
Question 4: The use of Strong Mayor's Powers varies wildly across Ontario. They've been used rarely in London and widely elsewhere. How would you use them?
A few candidates said they'd "never" use them and I think that's unrealistic for most of them. The absolute worst answer to this question, though, came from John Feher who said he'd use the powers to avoid "arguing all day long with somebody".
The best responses come from Susan Stevenson (who said that good mayors shouldn't need to use them), Josh Morgan (who defended his previous use as and said future use will be collaborative), and Bronagh Morgan who acknowledged that if she's to win, that must mean she has a hell of a mandate and she thinks councillors would recognize that and she wouldn't need to use them.
Question 5: When we go to the polls, we'll be selecting a leader. If you're talking to somebody that doesn't know London, Ontario from London, England, how do you describe the city as it stands?
A number of candidates only talked about the bad -- something I would consider a bad answer. We want a leader who's going to "champion" our city when they talk about us. For this reason, the worst answers go to Susan Stevenson, Kirsten Krose, and Dan Lenard.
The best answers come from Tariq Khan (talked about the good people here), Lawrence-Zachary Howe (talked about the beauty we have in the Forest City), and Bronagh Morgan (talked about the people she's met and that she doesn't even know 14-self interested individuals)
Question 6: 4 years from now, how do you want to be remembered?
There were only two bad answers here. The worst answer came from Barry Douglas Jacklin (who said he'll be remembered for removing the homeless from London ... all of them). Susan Stevenson didn't really answer the question.
The best answers come from Josh Morgan and Bronagh Morgan, both of whom note that the mayor shouldn't care about being remembered and that the job is more than just the 4-years they serve, and Kirsten Krose who said she hopes she's remembered for small, incremental changes that make a difference (Bronagh agreed with this).
Question 7: Bad faith evictions ("renovictions") are a big problem that add to the housing crisis. Should council do more to address this?
Tariq Khan and Josh Morgan didn't really answer the question, and Susan Stevenson responded that it was a "Provincial issue" and that we have our own problems to deal with.
The best answers came from Kirsten Krose and Bronagh Morgan who both talked about strengthening the bylaw and increasing bylaw enforcement to ensure people aren't losing their housing illegally.
London all-candidates mayoral debate for the 2026 municipal electio...
