Updated: Tue Feb. 06 2007 6:19:46 PM

toronto.ctv.ca

Squabbling over seating arrangements caused Toronto Mayor David Miller to cancel a photo session with the city's new council on Tuesday morning.

The far-from-picture-perfect group complained about an arrangement that some said they were not told of ahead of time.

Left-wing councillors blamed several right wingers, including Mike Del Grande, Denzil Minnan-Wong and Case Ootes, for refusing to take the photographer's direction on where to sit.

The formal portrait was to replace the 2003 council group, but Miller cancelled the shoot.

Embarrassed councillors described each other as children throwing temper tantrums.

Del Grande was one the members who refused to budge from his spot near the front.

"I don't like to be pushed and I felt that I was being pushed," he said.

Councillor Pam McConnell, who sits on the new executive committee, was stuck near the back of the group, and not very pleased by the actions of some.

"If Councillor Del Grande and a couple of his cohorts want to play silly games, they should go to kindergarten and to schoolyards," she said.

In past years, seating for the council's photo was organized on the spot, with the mayor and deputies front and centre. The other councillors were arranged based mostly on their height.

This year the plan was to have the new executive committee in the front row flanking the mayor, the Toronto Star reported.

A few key councillors, such as speaker Sandra Bussin and budget chief Shelley Carroll, were to be placed in the second row, directly behind Miller.

Each councillor was assigned a specific slot, but some refused to move to their spots when shown the plan.

"I think elected officials should be able to behave and take a photograph -- my kids can on their hockey teams and I think they should too," Miller said.

"I guess I'm sort of like the principal. I had to go downstairs and phone their parents."

Right-leaning Councillor David Shiner said Miller's reaction was ridiculous.

"I think the mayor should not have run off. It's completely the wrong way to act as the head of council," he said.

Rookie Councillor Adam Vaughan defended the mayor.

"Throwing hissy fits in the middle of the class photo is an asinine way to establish some sort of political ideology," Vaughan said. "Is there any principle here?"

A city hall spokesperson said even though a city photographer was used, additional equipment rentals cost at least $1,000.

Council will try to have its portrait taken again, but a date hasn't yet been set.

Meanwhile, budget deliberations begin next month.

With a report from CTV's Chris Eby