I’ve made it very clear that our government is focused on making sure that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT opens, so that it is ready for commuters as soon as possible. But our number one priority is that when it opens, it is safe for commuters and it is safe for transit operators. Mr. Speaker, that is the number one lesson that we learned from the public inquiry into the Ottawa LRT.

I have made my expectations clear to Metrolinx. I expect them to get a credible schedule from CTS as soon as possible. But Mr. Speaker, safety is our number one priority, and we will not waver from that. It is essential that the service is safe for everyone to use. We are focused on getting it done, and we will.

Mr. Speaker, our plan was endorsed by city council, by York region and by the federal government, who recognizes our plan as so nationally significant that they agreed to fund 40% of the cost of our GTA and Hamilton transit plan.

The members opposite stand up in this House and claim to be defenders of transit, but when it actually comes to voting in favour of it—whether it’s for operational support during the pandemic, which they couldn’t bring themselves to support, or if it’s new lines that are—

I thank the member opposite for the question.

I’ve always been clear: Our government is committed to getting this transit system built, but we want to make sure that it is safe for transit riders when that happens.

I am extremely frustrated and disappointed by the latest delay tactics that CTS announced just this morning. It’s another delay tactic that’s just meant to distract and delay from the work that needs to get done, and it is unacceptable.

But to be clear, construction is still ongoing, and CTS still needs to provide Ontarians with a credible schedule. The project has gone on long enough. Communities across the Eglinton road and across Ontario have been waiting for too long for this transit system to open. I’ve been very clear with Metrolinx that they need to do everything they can to force CTS to provide us with a credible schedule that will allow us to give Ontarians, once and for all, a credible opening date.

Our government has been learning from the Liberal mistakes. That’s why, when we put forward our subway plan for the GTA, we decided to do things differently. We brought in the Building Transit Faster Act, a piece of legislation that allows us to get rid of unnecessary delays. We break up procurements on our new projects—learning from Liberal mistakes of the past.

And what are Ontarians seeing for these changes? They’re seeing real, significant progress on the Ontario Line, on the Scarborough subway extension, on the Eglinton Crosstown West extension, and on the Yonge North subway extension, which are all projects that member and her party opposite voted against.

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to delivering transit.

We will make sure that CTS provides us with a credible schedule. We will make sure that it opens, and when it does open, that it is safe for transit riders.

Mr. Speaker, we are learning from the Liberal mistakes. We are doing things differently. And we do have shovels in the ground on our priority transit projects. We will get those done.

With respect to CTS, we expect them to fulfill the commitments they made to the people of Ontario in 2011 and to open a transit system that works and that is safe.

I thank for Leader of the Opposition for her question. Ontario’s roads are among the safest anywhere in North America, and mandatory reporting for physicians and optometrists has been in place in this province since 1968. The Ministry of Transportation oversees a rigorous process that adheres to national medical standards, and Ontario’s program is closely aligned with that of other provinces.

Multiple statements were provided to the reporter, including an in-depth briefing with subject matter experts from the Ministry of Transportation on the driver medical reporting program. The goal of the program is to protect the public from individuals who have a medical condition that makes it unsafe for them to drive. We are continuing to review all programs within the Ministry of Transportation to make sure that our roads remain the safest in North America.

With respect to the building of the largest public transit infrastructure program anywhere in North America, Metrolinx has been working closely with community groups and with affected stakeholders. Over 100 meetings were held with city of Toronto officials since the beginning of the program, since city council itself voted in favour of our subway program. Over 30 meetings were held with the specific member of the opposition to discuss their concerns about issues that are affecting their community members. We’re going to continue to work closely with the city and with members—

In 2020, our government conducted a study in conjunction with the University of South Wales and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. That study looked at the medical reporting program in Ontario over a 10-year period and found that our program was effective and it saved lives across the province, Mr. Speaker. That is the purpose of the program.

As I have said, we have met, we have provided multiple statements to the reporter in question, including an in-depth briefing that that reporter participated in to pose his questions directly to subject matter experts. We’re going to continue to evaluate the program to make sure that it meets the needs of Ontarians and keeps our roads as safe as they’ve been—among the safest anywhere in North America.

Ontarians deserve a transit system that is reliable and safe to use, and right now, our focus is on ensuring that the Eglinton Crosstown is safe when it is complete. Speaker, we’ve learned from the experiences in Ottawa with the Ottawa LRT that you cannot rush a transit system to open before it is ready to do so.

The project is currently in one of its most critical phases that will inform with greater certainty exactly when we can say that it will be complete. But progress has been made. We’re seeing major intersections along Eglinton open, including Mount Pleasant and Brentcliffe Road. This is good news for businesses, for residents, for commuters.

We know this is frustrating. That’s why our government has provided funding for businesses that have been affected. But, Mr. Speaker, let me be clear: We are focused on getting it open as soon as it is safe to do so.

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker, I have said since the beginning that I understand the frustration and we are working very hard—Metrolinx is overseeing the projects—to ensure that it opens in a way that is safe for transit riders. That is what Torontonians deserve. And from the member opposite who knows how important it is to not rush a transit system to open before it is ready, it is ironic that he is asking such a question. I wonder if he has actually read the recommendations and the report that came out of the public inquiry into the Ottawa LRT.

Mr. Speaker, we are focused on make sure that Torontonians get the transit system they deserve, even though the members opposite keep voting against it.

To the member opposite: When the incident was brought to my attention, I made it clear that it was not acceptable and not direction that I support. Why not? Because it’s actually not consistent with the way Metrolinx has engaged with communities and consulted with people on its transit projects since the beginning. The member opposite himself has had 17 total engagements with Metrolinx, 11 engagements specifically on the joint corridor in the past year, in 2022, 37 email correspondences with his office regarding questions about the Ontario Line in his ward.

Building large public transit infrastructure projects in the country’s most densely populated city is disruptive, and that is why we believed so firmly, from the beginning, in the need to make sure that we were working closely with our partners, including our municipal partners, on how we get transit built in the city. That is why we sought the support of Toronto council, which we received.

The reality is, failure to move forward with this transit is not what the city needs. What the city needs is to make sure we build the—

To date, the member opposite has participated in over 30 engagements with Metrolinx in the last two years, at least eight of which were specific to the work at Moss Park. Since 2020, there have been 17 meetings between Metrolinx and the law society, and over 100 engagements with the city of Toronto, that Metrolinx continues to meet with on an ongoing basis.

Mr. Speaker, it’s no secret that the member opposite voted against our current plan for new transit in the city of Toronto when the member was a city councillor. The member is against building generational transit for the people of Ontario. Every time the NDP say no to the Ontario Line, they’re saying no to taking 28,000 cars off the road each day. The opposition can continue to try to disrupt and delay our plans, but we are moving ahead with the hard work of making sure that Toronto gets the transit that it needs and deserves.