The government of Ontario plans to spend over $2.1-billion on provincial highways this year.
But Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott is asking in the legislature how much of that money will go to highways in his riding, and how much will go toward highways in ridings held by Liberal MPPs.
That’s what he wanted to know when he questioned Dwight Duncan, the Minister of Finance and acting premier on April 18.
“What assurance will the acting premier give this house that the decisions on highway projects will be based on genuine, demonstrated needs and not determined by the requirements of the Liberal seat-saver program?” Arnott asked in the legislature.
Opposition MPPs refer to the “Liberal seat-saver program” as a way of calling attention to Dalton McGuinty government’s politically motivated decisions intended to shore up support for weak Liberal MPPs at risk of being defeated in the election coming on Oct. 6.
“Highway 6 from Guelph to Fergus was last resurfaced more than 15 years ago, and its condition is now deplorable,” Arnott said, adding it needs to be repaved this year.
“And south of Guelph, we need a bypass around Morriston in Puslinch Township, a project I’ve raised in this house many times over the past three and a half years.”
Arnott added, “There are other urgent transportation priorities in our riding. For example, we need full traffic signal lights at the intersection of Highway 7 and Jones Baseline in the township of Guelph-Eramosa. And I just received a whole list of project needs from the town of Halton Hills that I will share with the Minister of Transportation.”
The Minister of Transportation wasn’t in the legislature at the time of Arnott’s question, so he directed it to Duncan.
But that was just as well Arnott said, because the Minister of Finance presented the budget that funds the Ministry of Transportation.
Arnott added that he intends to follow up with the Minister of Transportation to press for the road and highway priorities of his riding.
