A local member of Ontario's legislature is disputing claims that the New Democrats are turning back on high-speed rail for southwestern Ontario.
Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky sought to clarify comments made last week from the majority Ontario Liberals, which stated that Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath is only supporting research for a new high-speed rail line between Windsor and Toronto.
Gretzky told BlackburnNews.com Wednesday that not only has both the federal and provincial NDP been behind the idea from the very beginning, they want to take it a little further than Windsor-Essex.
"My colleague Brian Masse, the MP for Windsor West and I penned a joint letter talking about how it's important that when they do the study, they include going beyond Windsor and into the United States," says Gretzky.
Gretzky says she has stood up in the legislature and gone both on and off record as being in favour of a high-speed rail line for the region, and that the same has been true for the rest of the NDP's Windsor-Essex representatives both in Ottawa and Queen's Park. Masse, Windsor-Tecumseh MP Cheryl Hardcastle and Essex MP Tracey Ramsey have expressed interest, as have their provincial counterparts, MPPs Taras Natyshak of Essex and Percy Hatfield of Windsor-Tecumseh.
Gretzky says two studies into the concept have been completed but they have not included Windsor-Essex. She also says they were flawed. One only involved using Google maps to draw out areas where the rail would go. The other, according to Gretzky, targeted just people who have used the rail before and not the general public.
She thinks the Liberals have not been very convincing about bringing the idea of high-speed rail to the area.
"Up until now, it doesn't appear as though the Liberals have been very serious about high-speed rail in general, let alone through Windsor and Essex County," says Gretzky. "Absolutely we are committed to looking at getting that study completed to include Windsor and Essex County."
The Ontario Liberal Caucus had put out a statement on Friday criticizing the NDP for not expressing support for high-speed rail. The London Free Press quoted NDP staff as saying Horwath would not commit to the plan until an assessment was complete and that the Liberals were the only provincial party fully committed. Horwath later stated that the NDP is on board with the Liberals on the idea. The statement also criticized the opposition Progressive Conservatives.
Gretzky believes the Liberals should make more of an effort to get their facts straight.
"Perhaps they need to recant what they've said or issue another statement clarifying that we have from the get-go been advocates for high-speed rail in this area," says Gretzky.
The Liberals have committed at least $15-million for the purpose of an environmental assessment for high-speed rail. A first phase would go from Toronto to London by 2025, with another phase from London to Windsor ready by 2031.
