Elections
In 2007, the Ontario Government promised two light rail lines in Hamilton. Will you fulfill that promise to build light rail in Hamilton? Why or why not?
Responses to the question: "In 2007, the Ontario Government promised two light rail lines in Hamilton. Will you fulfill that promise to build light rail in Hamilton? Why or why not?"
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4 Candidate Responses (top)
| Hamilton Mountain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Hans Wienhold | No | No, I will not fulfill that promise.
Reason 1: The government should be completely separate from transportation. Decisions about travel including when to travel, where to travel, how to travel, etc. ought to be left to a free citizenry rather than delegated to a small group of interest group driven politicians. When important decisions are centralized the result is a "one size fits all" contraption which, necessarily, cannot fit all and never will. This is one of the main reasons most people are NEVER HAPPY with the results of their votes. (How do you like our "one size fits all" education monopoly?) Reason 2: When the Ontario Government promises to build something, anything, it is promising to fund such spending by stealing money from it's citizens via taxation (theft.) The result is that some people, those who want the project to be built, expect to derive benefits by forcing other people... those who don't support the project or just don't care ... to pay for it. When I was very young my mother made a lasting impression on me when she told me that stealing is wrong. The thing libertarians recognize is that stealing cannot be made right just because the government is doing it. |
| Monique Taylor | Yes | Ontario’s NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has met with Metrolinx and encouraged them to recognize how important the LRT system would be for the City of Hamilton. New Democrats are absolutely in favour of light rail transit in Hamilton. |
| Sophia Aggelonitis | Maybe | Ontario Liberals are committed to strong public transit systems throughout the province, including in Hamilton. That's why, after years of neglect by the PCs, we've invested more than $10.8 billion in public transit since 2003.
Ontario Liberals are committed to increasing GO train service to Hamilton and throughout the GTA, providing two-way, full-day service seven days a week and creating 68,000 jobs throughout Ontario. As the Premier said to The Spectator, this is an $800-million commitment to Hamilton. Mayor Bratina worked closely with Ontario Liberals and made it clear that the city's first priority for transit in Hamilton is two-way full-day GO service. We have a great relationship with the Mayor and Council, and we heard them loud and clear when they passed the SMT 2011 Work Plan which calls for all-day GO service. To bring in the new service, two new stations will be built in Hamilton - at James Street North and Confederation Station, creating about 8,000 local jobs during construction. New jobs will be created in construction, design and engineering because new tracks need to be put in to meet these new demands. This investment will also create demand for manufactured goods such as electrical equipment, steel and other products. The last PC government recklessly gutted transit - and made a mess of GO Transit in particular. First, they downloaded GO to the municipalities, and then took it back after it strained local budgets. It was under the last NDP government that GO Transit's era of continuous growth was brought to a stop. The NDP also eliminated GO service to some cities and reduced many others to rush-hour-only service. Now, the PCs have $14 billion in unfunded giveaways and tax cuts that would mean deep cuts to hospitals and schools. The NDP would introduce a crushing $9 billion in job killing taxes. Both would take Ontario off track at the worst time. At the same time, LRT remains an important part of the discussion. Ontario Liberals provided $3 million for the city to undertake a Rapid Transit Feasibility Study. That study is ongoing and we look forward to its findings. Once the report is complete and city council arrives at a decision, we will work with the city to support Hamilton's priorities. |
| Tony Morris | Yes | The Green Party is committed to accessible and convenient public transit. In that light, the Green Party would provide provincial funding to the proposed two light rail lines in Hamilton. To do this the Green Party would make the Provincial Gas Tax transfers to municipalities for public transit a permanent deal. |
Response Summary (top)
| Brief Response | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 2 | 50.0% |
| No | 1 | 25.0% |
| Maybe | 1 | 25.0% |
4 Candidates Have Not Responded (top)
| Hamilton Mountain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Brian Goodwin | ||
| Geordie Elms | ||
| Jim Enos | ||
| Trevor Pettit | ||
