Toronto Mayor Rob Ford apologised for making "mistakes" and acknowledged the need to curb his drinking, but he didn't address allegations of drug use and said he will continue to lead Canada's largest city despite pressure to resign.
"I'm going to weather this storm," he said yesterday.
Ford made his remarks on his local weekly radio show three days after police said they had obtained a copy of a video that appears to show the mayor puffing on a crack cocaine pipe.
The video was recovered from a computer hard drive during an investigation of an associate of Ford's who is suspected of providing him drugs. Police have said they don't have grounds to charge the mayor with any crime.
Ford didn't address the contents of the video yesterday, saying he cannot comment on a tape he hasn't seen.
"Whatever this video shows, Toronto residents deserve to see it and people need to judge for themselves what they see on this video," he said.
Police said the video will come out when Ford's associate and occasional driver, Alexander Lisi, goes to trial on drug and extortion charges. Lisi is accused of threatening two alleged gang members who had been trying to sell the video to the media.
Police have said they want to talk to Ford, but his lawyer so far has declined.
Ford, yesterday, acknowledged making "mistakes" but declined to take a leave of absence or resign.
"I sincerely apologise, there's absolutely no excuse, no one to blame but myself," he said. "I am going to fight like no one has seen before to win the next election" in October 2014.
All four major Toronto newspapers have called on Ford to resign. Municipal law makes no provision for his forced removal from office unless he's convicted and jailed for a criminal offense.
The populist, conservative mayor also said yesterday he would agree to have a full-time city driver, a proposal he had rejected before as a waste of taxpayers' money.
Even before police announced they had the video, Ford had drawn criticism for erratic behaviour.
Ford said he got "a little out of control" after St. Patrick's Day in 2012, when city hall security guards said they witnessed a "very intoxicated' Ford having trouble walking and swearing at aides.
