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Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown and Mayor John Tory Meet to Discuss Transit

Dec 2, 2017 @ 10:31
Patrick Brown, Ontario PC Leader, today (December 1, 2017) met with Toronto Mayor John Tory to discuss how an Ontario PC government will make major investments in public transit to improve commuting times in the Greater Toronto Area. Rod Phillips, Ontario PC candidate for Ajax, also attended the meeting.

“The people of Ontario rely on public transit to get to work, see family and friends and live their lives,” said Brown. “Under Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario Liberals, people have to get up at the crack of dawn just to beat highway traffic and commute times have gotten worse.”

Brown noted that Toronto residents spend over an hour getting to and from work – one of the longest commutes in the world. Meanwhile, the Wynne Liberals have dragged their feet on funding the Scarborough subway, have delayed the construction of transit projects, and have failed to provide the leadership and funding necessary to get the GTA moving.

“Long commute times are taking a toll on our health and wellbeing. They’re getting worse, not better – and that’s unacceptable,” said Brown. “The Ontario PC Party is going to take decisive action to improve public transit in the GTA so that people can get home to their families faster.”

During a meeting with Mayor Tory, Brown announced that a PC government will:

  • Commit an additional $5 billion to build new subways in the Greater Toronto Area
  • Provide help for commuters across the GTA by ensuring that the provincial government assumes responsibility for maintenance and investments in Toronto’s subway system
  • Fund the Scarborough Subway Extension cost escalator
  • Fund the city’s portion of the Scarborough Subway Extension, subject to the City of Toronto making a significant financial investment to extend the Eglinton Crosstown project to Scarborough’s University of Toronto campus, and hopefully to Malvern
  • Commit to regional express rail electrification, Smart Track, and fare integration
  • Commit to improving Toronto-Ontario relations through regular meetings between Mayor Tory and Brown to discussed shared priorities
During their meeting Mayor Tory and Brown also how the Ontario PC Party’s plan, the People’s Guarantee, would help families in Toronto through measures such as a 75% refund of child care expenses, and the largest mental health commitment in Canadian provincial history.

“It’s time for the provincial government to stop being part of the problem and start contributing to the solution to our transit challenges,” said Brown. “The City of Toronto needs a real partner at Queen’s Park, be it on mental health, child care, or transit.”

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