Markham, ON – A new Conservative government will fund the Ontario Line and Yonge Subway Extension projects as part of a plan to prioritize projects that get Canadians home faster, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer announced today.
“The Ontario Line and the Yonge Subway Extension are two great examples of projects that reduce commute times and relieve traffic congestion for hard-working commuters,” Scheer said.
“These are exactly the kinds of infrastructure projects a new Conservative government will prioritize and I’m pleased to announce that as Prime Minister, my government will fund them.”
- The 7.4-kilometre Yonge Subway Extension will connect Toronto to Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill – one of the fastest growing regions in Ontario.
- The 15-kilometre Ontario Line will increase capacity by 30 per cent on a critically needed east-west and north-south route.
Scheer was joined by Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti and Richmond Hill Mayor David Barrow and pointed out that despite a $187 billion infrastructure spending commitment, Justin Trudeau has failed to deliver much-needed commuter infrastructure for Canadians.
“Justin Trudeau was elected on a promise to invest in infrastructure and get these kinds of projects built. But four years later, he has spent the money but has nothing to show for it. We got the deficits without the infrastructure,” Scheer said. “Once again, he is not as advertised.”
Only Canada’s Conservatives have a plan to lower your taxes and put more money in your pockets so you can get ahead. We will build the desperately needed infrastructure Canadians need to get home faster at the end of the day.
FACTS:
- Commute times in Toronto are up an average of almost 8 per cent since 2013, with an average commute of 42 minutes.
- The Ontario Line is estimated to cost $10.9 billion and is scheduled to be complete by 2027.
- The Yonge Subway Extension is estimated to cost $5.6 billion and should be operational right after the Ontario Line opens.
- A new Conservative government would fund projects that reduce commute times across the country like the George Massey Tunnel replacement project in Vancouver and the third link across the Saint Lawrence River in Québec City.
- According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO), for every dollar Justin Trudeau promised for infrastructure, he only spent 60 cents: “the Government failed to spend about 40 per cent of its planned infrastructure budget.”
- Analysis showed that for all his spending, there are no substantial results to show for it.
- In its analysis of Budget 2018, the PBO reported: “Budget 2018 provides an incomplete account of the changes to the Government’s $186.7 billion infrastructure spending plan. PBO requested the new plan but it does not exist.”
- If given four more years, Justin Trudeau’s debt and never-ending deficits will delay badly needed infrastructure, threatening the future of important projects like the Ontario Line and Yonge Subway Extension, and doing nothing to reduce commute times.
- Trudeau’s Carbon tax will add 31 cents a litre to the price of gas, adding hundreds of dollars to the cost of everyday essentials. In Ontario, his carbon tax will cost you over a thousand dollars each and every year.
