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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20 Candidate Responses (top)
| Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Erik Coverdale | Yes | The Green Party would provide provincial funding to the proposed two light rail lines in Hamilton. As a society we need to support the shift from individual automobiles to sustainable public transit. We need to focus on transit-oriented development in our urban communities and creating livable communities that reduce the need to travel.
The price of fuel will continue to rise, creating additional incentive to find alternative means of moving people and goods. Rather than wasting money on building new roads we should be investing in public transit and creating links to new mobility hubs. |
| Glenn Langton | No | No I would not as a Libertarian I believe in free markets and less government, less taxes and less spending, the governments of Hamilton and Ontario are awash in red ink and heavily in debt as well, I believe it would be irresponsible to spend on such a project, I would however invite private transportation companies to assess the need, and viability of such systems and reduce the red tape and bureaucracy involved in allowing them to provide these services if they believed they could do so profitably. |
| Robert Maton | Yes | Yes, I would advocate building light rail in Hamilton, as part of a much broader plan to stimulate the Hamilton economy and bring in new industries to replace the dying smokestack industry. |
| Ted McMeekin | Maybe | I believe that light rail transit (LRT) has the potential to change the face of Hamilton for the better and the province has committed to working with the City as it relates to LRT.
I am committed to strong public transit system in Hamilton and across the province. That's why, after years of neglect by the PCs, the Ontario Liberals have invested more than $10.8 billion in public transit since 2003. The City indicated that two-way all-day GO train was a priority. We have 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. 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. They 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. For LRT in Hamilton, the province provided $3 million for the city to undertake a Rapid Transit Feasibility Study. That study is ongoing and, for a project of this size and scope, is moving quickly. There is likely about 6 months of additional work and I look forward to the findings. Decisions should neither be made in isolation from our municipal partner, nor without the information the feasibility study will provide. Once the report is complete and city council arrives at a decision, I will work with the city to move this project forward. |
| Trevor Westerhoff | 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. |
| Hamilton Centre | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Andrea Horwath | 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. |
| Christopher Lawson | Maybe | It was not a Freedom Party government that made those promises. That being said, I believe it would be prudent to investigate every avenue possible to make it happen. Something desperately needs to be done to address the problem of traffic congestion in the Golden Horseshoe area. Light rail could be an answer to many issues: relieving commuter congestion, encouraging inter-city tourism and boosting inter-city commerce. |
| Michael Baldasaro | Yes | Just as long as the Government is paying for this and not raising our taxes. The Greater Hamilton Area, "G.H.A.", should be connected to our University Centre and Innovation Park, via Light Rail Transit. |
| Peter Ormond | Yes | I will fulfill that promise to build light rail in Hamilton because the Green Party believes in sustainable transportation. Our roads are congested, fuel prices are rising and pollution from motor vehicles are hurting our environment. The LRT would be a way to combat these challenges and make Hamilton a leader in transportation. The LRT would also increase public transportation access to certain areas that would then flourish due to their increased availability. It's time to invest in infrastructure that promotes community development in a smart and sustainable manner.
It's worth pointing out that Hamilton's Aerotropolis is still proceeding. Reckless expansion on farmland is a concept that was considered cool half a century ago. Similarly, the myriad of new highways like the mid-pen must be stopped in their tracks. No new highways. In fact, a complete review of all operations at the airport must be performed - including the release of the secret 40 year lease between the city and the airport. No more-mega projects like these that benefit the already wealthy, and all at the expense of the existing communities. It's time for responsible infrastructure projects that will benefit the average citizen. The LRT will transform Hamilton. Let's get on with it! |
| Robert Kuhlmann | No | First you have to ask yourself the following. What is the purpose of government? Do you believe that governments purpose is to provide transportation to the people? If so, How do they provide it? Why not just buy everyone a car? It'd be cheaper. Where does the money to provide it come from? Who does it come from? Do those providing that money have any say in how its being spent on this or any other project? If not, why not? Is this fair to those who provide the money? If not, why not? How can we make it fair? How can we make it so that those who provide the funds for the project decide how and where the money is being spent? Answer those questions first and then tell me whether or not government should be building rail lines anywhere. It's not their decision to make Those who provide the funds should have the right to decide where their money is being spent. If you can't decide where you spend your own money, how free are you really? I'd do my best to create an environment in which it was economically viable to build LRT lines. Building those lines isn't government's purpose. Allowing and defending an economy in which it is viable to do so is. |
| Hamilton East-Stoney Creek | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Bob Green Innes | No | Asking Hamiltonians to directly shoulder the total financial burden would expose the fallacy of the LRT argument. I doubt the supposed beneficiaries would consider the enormous cost to be worthwhile. Ask yourself what the annual payments would be on that billion dollars (assuming no project inflation which is ludicrous in itself) would be if interest rates doubled or tripled as they are doing in Europe right now. 10% x a billion is $100 million per year. What impact would this have on city taxes? The IMF is already warning Canadians about over-indebtedness.
Portland at least had the decency to cut off further sprawl to make their system work. Plus they had huge foundations to draw on financially. Neither of these factors operate here - why should we limit development when your money would be 'free'? The problem with cross funding of such projects is that nobody gets the bill directly so everybody thinks it's ok to squander money like water. It's really a game of beggar thy neighbour or more accurately, corporations beggaring all. I believe that Hamilton will be hit hard (again) when the US crashes, sending the Loonie higher and discouraging Ontario exports even further. Mining is about the only bright spot these days so Hamilton is likely to spend much time in the doldrums until Canada tackles its gone-too-far unFair Trade policies. Further, could Hamiltonians even afford the future maintenance like we see going on in Toronto in recent years on our limited tax base? Of course one might protest that the LRT is intended to promote business but why should it when other communities in Ontario are also being offered the same deal? Especially when Hamilton seems to be so expert at driving out business with high (uncompetitive) taxes. Despite such taxes, we can't even afford the maintenance bill for what we have (est. $2bn). Burlington Street and still-existing wooden pipes are prime exhibits. Don't get me wrong, I'd love LRT, especially as a probable direct beneficiary, but putting the cart before the horse is never a good idea. This is proven by Waterloo where we see that Research in Motion came before LRT, not after. Because Waterloo did this right, they could possibly afford LRT on their own dime, though it is doubtful they actually would. Some day we might be able to say the same thing, but now is not the right time. We need to get our house in order first with more sustainable policies, financially, regulation wise and demographically. Only the Family Coalition Party has any sensible policies that cover such matters. |
| Mark Cripps | Maybe | The Ontario government is working with the city of Hamilton to investigate LRT. The government provided funds to conduct studies. I think LRT can be a great asset for this community. We need buy-in across the entire city to make this happen. It happened in the Region of Waterloo. It can happen here. In the short-term, I would like to see Go Services expanded to Centennial Parkway and Winona. |
| Paul Miller | 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. |
| W. Peter Randall | Yes | I heartily endorse light rail and all forms of public transit to ease our congested roads, increase public safety, decrease future infrastructure costs and improvement our environment.
Many see rail as our past in this country and it indeed rail has a great legacy from coast to coast in this great nation. It was once the glue that united us. What many fail to realize is that rail, in all forms, is also our path to a willed, vibrant and sustainable future. We urgently need more GO Connections to Niagara from Hamilton and the light rail lines in Hamilton. Myself (W. Peter Randall) and my party (The Green Party) will definitely be catalysts for these endeavors from the word go. |
| 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. |
| Niagara West-Glanbrook | ||
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Anthony Marco | 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. |
| Geoff Peacock | Yes | A Freedom government will fulfill any previous obligations that are in place.
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Response Summary (top)
| Brief Response | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 12 | 60.0% |
| No | 4 | 20.0% |
| Maybe | 4 | 20.0% |
22 Candidates Have Not Responded (top)
| Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale | ||
|---|---|---|
| Donna Skelly | ||
| Peter Melanson | ||
| Rick Gundermann | ||
| Hamilton Centre | ||
| Anthony Gracey | ||
| Don Sheppard | ||
| Donna Tiqui-Shebib | ||
| Robert Szajkowski | ||
| Steven Passmore | ||
| Hamilton East-Stoney Creek | ||
| Gregg Pattinson | ||
| Nancy Fiorentino | ||
| Philip Doucette | ||
| Silas Khokar | ||
| Hamilton Mountain | ||
| Brian Goodwin | ||
| Geordie Elms | ||
| Jim Enos | ||
| Trevor Pettit | ||
| Niagara West-Glanbrook | ||
| Gerry Augustine | ||
| Katie Trombetta | ||
| Marty Poos | ||
| Meredith Cross | ||
| Rob Wienhold | ||
| Tim Hudak | ||
