From “game changer,” to not-so-fast.

Or, so it seems.

Deputy Premier Deb Matthews is tapping the brakes on dreams of a high-speed rail line linking Toronto through Southwestern Ontario, saying her Liberal government promised to study — not necessarily build — the mega-project.

The qualified support from Matthews, who along with other London MPPs met with city council members Wednesday, drew criticism from New Democrats as proof the Liberals pitched the plan to win votes in the 2014 provincial election.

“We never said we would build high-speed rail. We promised we would do the homework,” Matthews said in response to questions from Coun. Harold Usher. “None of us wants to build a white elephant. I just want to be clear on the commitment.”

Weeks before the 2014 election, then-transportation minister Glen Murray outlined the Liberal government’s plan for a high-speed rail system — starting later that year with an environmental assessment and business case for the line — in an address to London business leaders.

“If people think this is out of scope or possibility, it is not,” he told the Chamber of Commerce.

Late that same year, Matthews — the London North Centre MPP — said “this is a real game changer for London,” after the province announced it would begin the environmental assessment for a high-speed line connecting Windsor, London, Kitchener-Waterloo and Toronto.

Wednesday, Matthews said she believes a high-speed link to Toronto would “change London’s fortunes entirely,” bringing it into the commuter orbit of Canada’s biggest city. But she was cautious about a study on a Toronto-to-Windsor system, which is led by former federal transport minister David Collenette and could be released this spring.

“My concern is about ridership,” she said. “Will people get out of their cars (and) onto high-speed rail if it’s available?”

Those comments — not nearly as confident as Liberal ministers sounded in 2014 — could stoke concern the massive project, talked about for decades, may not actually happen — or, more painfully for London, it could only go as far west as Kitchener-Waterloo, leaving London on the outside of a potential economic surge.

KW is now the outer limit in Western Ontario of the Ontario government’s own commuter rail service to Toronto, the GO system.

The Financial Post also recently reported that an airline is offering 18-minute flights between K-W and Toronto, possibly starting by June.

NDP MPP Peggy Sattler expressed “surprise” with Matthews’ high-speed rail comments. In a post-meeting interview, she said Matthews struck a much different tone than the pre-election Liberal comments.

“As I recall, about a month before the last election all of a sudden high-speed rail was held up as a shiny object,” the London West MPP said.

“I would want to make sure the release of Collenette’s report and whatever ensues is not used again as an election gift going into the (2018) provincial election.”

Late Wednesday, after the story hit The Free Press webiste, Matthews’ office issued a clarification of her comments through her press secretary, saying “high-speed rail truly has the potential to transform the way we travel in our region,” and that “our government has proven” its commitment to the project by launching the environmental study and appointing Collenette as a special adviser on the project.

“Mr. Collenette recently tabled his report with us and we look forward to providing an update on this important project in the very near future,” Matthews said in the late-day statement.

Wednesday’s meeting between city politicians and London MPPs touched on a number of issues, but there were two areas of focus — transportation and housing. The latter was timely, given that just 12 hours earlier council put $1.6 million of surplus cash into affordable housing.

Coun. Josh Morgan suggested cities like London need more “flexibility” with funding to help the most vulnerable, a call Sattler applauded.

“The greatest need (in a lot of public housing) is supports for the people who live there,” Sattler said. “The city has identified a place where, rather than rigid funding streams, it would be useful (to have) some flexibility . . . to actually meet the needs of people.”

City politicians also met with London’s federal MPs Wednesday afternoon, where BRT was among the issues discussed.

pmaloney@postmedia.com

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