Mike Strobel, Toronto Sun Columnist




TORONTO - Just what we need, another mayor from Etobicoke.

Ever do crack? I ask candidate Nikki Benz. It’s an automatic question these days.

“No. No. I don’t even smoke cigarettes,” she tells me, tossing a honey-blond tress. You could swim in those hazel eyes.

“When it comes to that kind of stuff,” she says, “my life is not very exciting.”

Nikki’s job is another thing. Unless you’ve been comatose or away at bible camp, you know Nikki Benz is among the world’s top porn stars.

She divides her time between shooting Bra Busters 4 and the like in L.A. and her mom’s place in Etobicoke, where she grew up not far from Rob Ford’s spread.

So she is eligible for Toronto politics. In fact, her career makes her highly qualified, since it, too, involves screwing people while huffing and puffing and pretending to smile.

“At least I’m honest and transparent. No hidden agenda,” says Ms. Benz.

Noon Wednesday, she is to sashay down to City Hall and officially launch her campaign for mayor.

Already, she has a snappy slogan — Trade in Your Ford for a Benz — and the beginnings of a platform.

She dropped by the Sun to outline some of her positions, politically speaking.

Her transit policy is a bit all-over-the-map, but whose isn’t? Generally, she favours cheaper modes, so LRT in the suburbs. But she would fast-track the relief line. Frankly, she says “relief line” in a much more compelling way than John Tory.

I can tell you Toronto’s congestion was not eased by her photo shoot on King St. with our Craig Robertson. For once, no one cursed or flipped the bird.

This is overreaching a mayor’s powers, but Ms. Benz proposes making National Masturbation Day a civic holiday. I know, I know, I hear you, every day should be National Masturbation Day, but Benz sees it as a way to soothe Toronto’s chronic angst.

Also, since we’re already Hollywood North, Nikki would make us Debbie Does Dallas North.

“My industry is one of the biggest in the world,” she says. “It could do for Toronto what it’s done for L.A. in jobs, business and taxes.”