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Brian Graff

Independent for Toronto Mayor
The Mayor needs to work with council and local mayors to reduce the population growth of the GTA - cut immigration, so we can catch up on infrastructure and have a stable affordable housing market.

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Biography

submitted by the candidate or their team
Toronto born "radical centrist" who has been active in fighting bad redevelopment and over-intensification

My biography is on my website, so please check it out.

My education and career background is in real estate and architecture. I have been active in politics since the 1980s but never planned to run for office, until 2014 when mobody else was willing to challenge my local councillor who my friends had found impossible to work with.

I was born in Toronto and grew up in Don Mills and now live in the Beach.

I have a Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor of Environmental Studies and an MBA in Real Property and Finance. I also have been working on a real estate appraisal accreditation - so I understand the housing market and why we are having affordability problems.

My main focus is on the impacts of high population growth - on housing, the labour market/incomes, congestion, lack of infrastructure and parks.

I am not far left or far right, but a "radical centrist" and a pragmatist.

Reason for running

submitted by the candidate or their team
Our problems mostly stem from high population growth - things will get worse unless we reduce the GTA growth rate.

I am running because I cannot support the main candidates who are getting media exposure - the offer the usual range of solutions and in many cases there is little disagreement.

So I felt compelled to run to talk about my ideas and in particular to raise population growth and immigration as issues that others are missing.

See my Star op-ed at https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2023/05/10/the-real-cause-of-torontos-traffic-congestion-and-housing-crisis.html - there is no shortage of land rezoned for housing, or in the pipeline. We do not need missing middle or ending exclusionary zoning. We should do more to pretect heritage.

I also support completing the Gardiner rebuild, stopping the mess Ford is creating at Ontario Place, ranked choice voting and other reforms. I would like to stop the sales of land for condos and see all remaining waterfront lands used for parks, not housing.

briangraff.net www.briangraff.net