Tim Hudak does his best Rob Ford impression for the Toronto Board of Trade
Tim Hudak does his best Rob Ford impression for the Toronto Board of Trade
Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak sounded eerily like his good buddy Rob Ford yesterday in a speech to the Toronto Region Board of Trade. Hudak outlined his three-point plan for expanding Toronto’s transit system: (1) root out waste (one of Ford’s favourite pastimes); (2) subways, subways, subways, especially in Scarborough; and (3) no new taxes or tolls to pay for transit (Ford has been criticized—and mocked—for his staunch opposition to new revenue sources). Hudak even said Toronto is a city where “something has gone off the rails”—like, say, a gravy train? [Toronto Star]
(Images: Tim Hudak, Ontario Chamber of Commerce; Rob Ford, Christopher Drost)
 root out waste (one of Ford’s favourite pastimes); (2) subways, subways, subways, especially in Scarborough; and (3) no new taxes or tolls to pay for transit (Ford has been criticized—and mocked—for his staunch opposition to new revenue sources). Hudak even said Toronto is a city where “something has gone off the rails”—like, say, a gravy train? [Toronto Star]
(Images: Tim Hudak, Ontario Chamber of Commerce; Rob Ford, Christopher Drost)){kind=link}
In other words, Mr. Hudak has confirmed his intention of doing nothing about mass transit in Toronto. He would really like to but unfortunately his hands are tied because of the waste. The media should be regularly reminding the public that Mr. Hudak was part of a government that canceled a planned subway – the Eglinton line in Toronto. Not only did they cancel it, but they paid millions to have it filled in to make it that much harder to ever expand (which we’re now doing with LRTs). Mr. Hudak is disingenuous and has never accounted for his subway-cancelling antics.
It might also be noted occasionally that Doug Ford Sr., father of the current mayor, was one of the trained Toronto seals in the same caucus as Mr. Hudak who said not a word in defence of the Eglinton subway. So when there’s a chance to build subways, these guys will find any excuse NOT to build one. When there’s little or no chance, they’re all in favor.