Councillor Gord Perks asks City Manager Paul Johnson about the various subsidy programs the city offers for low-income people.

"There's a strong correlation that says we would have fewer of these subsidy programs if people just had the right wage," says Johnson.

Councillor Holyday asks how much this gig worker wage campaign would cost. City Manager says there's a range of costs for ad campaigns.

"Have you got a drawer full of money in your office to pay for this?" Holyday asks.

"I can confirm I do not have a drawer full of money."

"I want to use my comments to unmask what I think is a deeper philosophical conversation. I think it's about defining what a proletariat is," says Councillor Stephen Holyday.

Huh. Well. Okay. Did anyone have "proletariat" on their Council Bingo card?

"Imagine the life of a driver. They drive around, and a third of the time, the car's empty. They work day in and day out. They get sick, they get no pay. They have no health benefits," says Mayor Olivia Chow.

"How can anyone in Toronto survive with six dollars an hour?"

Bradford wants to ask Chow about her attempts to institute a rideshare license cap. Perks and Bravo rise on points of order to say the rideshare cap item isn't before council today.

"I just want to suggest this belongs in his media scrum he's going to do after," says Bravo.

Anyway, that brings us to the matter of lunch.

Council will return at 2 p.m., with 49 items left to deal with, including 37 member motions that should mostly go pretty quick. See you back here soon.

Thompson rises on a point of order about the decision before lunch to dispense with the Ombudsman report.

"What a shameful act that has taken place today ... to waive this particular matter, not to deal with it. In fact, we're treating dogs better than people in this city."

Fletcher suggests as an alternative, a bunch of councillors and staff have a meeting with staff to "iron some of these things out" regarding the Ombudsman report.

"Maybe there'll be something that comes back to council, but I think that's the most appropriate way to do that."

After the member motion run through, there are now just 14 items left on this council agenda.

At the end of the tunnel, light.

Councillor Nick Mantas asks if the federal government is being a "fair and honest partner" to the city re: refugee funding.

"We're very concerned about what this signal means for the future funding of this program," staff say, diplomatically.

"Do you think that property taxpayers should be the source of primary funding for asylum seekers in our city?" Councillor Lily Cheng asks General Manager of Shelters Gord Tanner.

"The shelter system in Toronto cannot support the immigration system of Canada," responds Tanner.