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Decentralized Democracy

Andrea Hazell

  • MPP
  • Member of Provincial Parliament
  • Scarborough—Guildwood
  • Ontario Liberal Party
  • Ontario
  • Unit B1 3785 Kingston Rd. Scarborough, ON M1J 3M4 AHazell.mpp.co@Liberal.ola.org
  • tel: 416-281-2787
  • fax: 416-281-2360

  • Government Page
  • May/15/24 11:20:00 a.m.

My question is to the Premier. Two days ago, the TTC faced a massive service disruption, with Line 2 being out of service for 12 hours. Thousands of people were impacted as they were crammed onto shuttle buses that could not meet demand. Commutes from Scarborough were more than doubled.

Do you know what we heard from this government? That’s right: nothing. Because this government doesn’t take responsibility for its failures. They talk a big game, but when their neglect becomes clear, they can’t face it. They don’t want to face the nurse who missed a shift or the patient who can’t see the doctor because they couldn’t make it in on time.

Will this government continue to pass the buck on reliable and safe transit, or will they actually provide the TTC with the funding Ontarians really need?

We know where their priorities are. It’s not in making Ontarians have public services they can rely on. It’s not ensuring that they can get to work on time. It’s making sure that cheques get cleared on time.

Under this government, we have seen massive delays to the subway, bus services cut, fare increases and the Scarborough RT derailed. Through you, Mr. Speaker: Will the Premier commit to funding the operations of the TTC so it runs on time, or will he continue to let Toronto transit riders down?

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  • Mar/20/24 11:30:00 a.m.

My question is to the Minister of Transportation. The TTC is falling apart under his watch. It is in shambles. Delays are rampant, streetcars get stuck in unbearable traffic and slow zones on the subway are doubling trip times. After six years of neglect by this government, riders have lost faith in their public transit. This is not just an issue for residents of Toronto. People from across the GTA rely on the TTC to get to work and to their families on time.

This government is letting some of the busiest transit lines fall apart, neglecting existing infrastructure at the detriment of all who use our transit. This government literally allowed the Scarborough RT to fall off the tracks and risk the lives of transit riders.

Mr. Speaker, through you, will this minister give the TTC the financial support it needs?

The provincial funding formula is not tied to inflation, so the TTC is getting the same amount of funding as it did in 2007. The Conservatives are asking the TTC to do more and more with less, and it is transit riders who are paying the price.

To the minister: Does he realize that if they keep neglecting some of the busiest transit lines in the province, this government’s legacy will be a complete loss of faith in Ontarians’ public transit because we have a broken TTC?

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  • Feb/20/24 11:20:00 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, I will say again, there’s an RCMP investigation on its way.

This government likes to boast about their investment in public transportation, meanwhile Ontarians don’t see any results. My constituents in Scarborough know that all too well. What they mention less is how many of those projects have been in place for years and have only been delayed under the Conservatives: GO train electrification—delayed indefinitely under the Conservatives; Hamilton LRT—cancelled by the Conservatives in 2019 before they did what they are best at and reversed course a year later; Eglinton Crosstown—they wouldn’t even give the people of Ontario an update on that one. There’s still no word on all-day, two-way GO to Kitchener from the government, and the Milton service is only happening because one of their MPPs wanted to escape from the Premier.

Mr. Speaker, will the minister clarify when they will actually deliver these projects that were started years ago?

Interjections.

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  • Feb/20/24 11:10:00 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Transportation. Once again, the Conservatives are only showing up when it’s convenient for them. Many of us on this side of the House have been advocating all-day, two-way Milton GO service for years, and the federal government offered to provide funding for this project three years ago. The minister’s predecessor declined that offer.

But it’s obvious that this government is only reversing course on that because of the upcoming by-election in Milton. It appears that the only way to get this government to invest in a riding is to have the PC MPP jump ship from their caucus—and don’t get me started on how much time the Premier has spent in Mississauga since December 3.

Speaker, can the minister explain to the people of Milton and Mississauga why they have had to wait this long for the government to move forward with all-day service on the Milton line?

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  • Nov/20/23 11:10:00 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Transportation.

This government loves to talk about investing in transit, but under their watch, transit agencies are more underfunded than ever. What good is a new subway line if the other subway lines and bus routes are getting cut because the TTC is starved for funding and this government wouldn’t pay up? Our economy relies on public transit getting our workers to work on time. Transit agencies are cutting routes while increasing fares. Reduced service is a major obstacle to bringing people back on the TTC, where we are only at 78% of pre-pandemic usage. The TTC does not have the money to restore service, and we need the province to step up. The provincial subsidy for transit agencies is not tied to inflation.

Will the minister commit to funding the transit service that Ontarians rely on, or will they continue treating bus riders as an afterthought?

Having witnessed one LRT line derail because of poor maintenance, I would hope that this government would see it as a warning that they need to invest in the system. Instead, the TTC has to cancel buying new trains for Line 2 because of their provincially supported funding crisis. The trains on Line 2 are not built to last past 2026, and thousands of commuters and I are worried that a serious accident might occur once again. We need to buy new trains, and this government needs to step up because the TTC cannot afford it alone.

Will the minister commit to helping Toronto replace the trains, or is he content to watch another subway derail under his government’s watch?

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