So, what does Hudak have in mind to remedy the huge hole in the electoral map — one he’ll need to mend if he aims to lead the province? He promises more alienation of Toronto and perpetual upheaval around transit, the city’s most pressing file.
On Tuesday, city hall could have used some stability and a sense of order and assurance from their cousins up at Queen’s Park. Instead, Hudak came to city hall, collected a few busy-body allies on council and proceeded to a news conference where he created mischief when calm assurance was what the doctor ordered.
Premier Dalton McGuinty had announced he was jumping ship, leaving his Liberal party and the minority government rudderless, without policy direction, and likely facing an election next spring.
McGuinty shut down parliament, leaving some legislation in limbo. If voters were to turf his party in the anticipated election, where does that leave critical political initiatives underway?
In Toronto there is no more important issue than transit. The board of trade, civic activists, agencies and advocacy groups are forging a coalition to urge governments in Ottawa, Queen’s Park and at city halls to press on with the plans already studied and approved. The campaigns have already started, focused on a report expected in June that is to tell us how to pay for the region’s $50-billion transit plan, the Big Move.
The growing consensus from those groups is that citizens of the GTA should be prepared to pay more in fees and/or taxes to help finance the plan, now managed by Metrolinx, an agency McGuinty created to manage regional transit.
It’s this milieu that Hudak entered Tuesday. The man who would be premier carries a big stick and huge responsibility. Voters are likely to hang on his word, especially since his chance of victory has increased with the chaos that has engulfed the ruling Liberals.
So, what does Hudak do? How does he reassure Torontonians that he understands their plight, feels their commuting pain, and will be a solution and not a hindrance to progress? He throws a grenade into the transit arena.
Toronto just completed a testy, debilitating and tiresome fight over what mode of transit should go on which route. The great LRT-versus-subway debate occurred only because a new mayor was elected, promising subways — a position counter to the wishes of the previous council, which approved a comprehensive network of light rail lines called Transit City.
Such is the price of democracy. Council took a re-vote, following months of controversy. And council chose LRT over subways, primarily because the mayor had no way to pay for the subways, and refused recommendations from councillors to use taxes.
Enter Hudak this week, promising subways where council just approved LRTs. Without offering any new funding. While suggesting there is no money coming until he slays the deficit, meaning four, five, six, seven years from now, if ever.
Oh, and he intends to take the subway operations away from the city and the TTC and give it to Metrolinx.
Just what Toronto needs — another intervention from the provincial Tories. The last time, under Mike Harris, they closed up the tunnel for the Eglinton subway, ended operating subsidies for transit, and initiated a transit mess still percolating today.
That Eglinton subway tunnel, currently being re-dug for the underground LRT, is what Hudak now wants remade for a subway his party killed.
Hudak’s the latest author of transit confusion, further chaos and delays. And he expects to win seats in Toronto?
Original Article
Source: the star
Author: Royson James
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