My job as MPP is twofold: I advocate for the people who live in our community and as a member of the official opposition, I challenge the government when their policies are not in the best interests of the people in Waterloo.

That's why one year ago, I pressed the legislature to pass a motion calling for a firm funding commitment and a clear timeline for the delivery of two-way, all-day GO Transit along the full length of the Kitchener line.

Our community has been promised a bullet train by 2019, two-way, all day GO by 2024, and a first phase of high-speed rail by 2025.

We got results. The motion received all-party support and passed unanimously - but Doug Ford is putting all of that at risk.

When the fall economic statement was released in November, it outlined a $1.4-billion cut to transit infrastructure funding. I asked the government what this would mean for transit in Waterloo Region. The response: "Stay tuned."

And when Metrolinx released its new business case regarding GO expansion, two-way, all-day GO to Kitchener was taken out of the plan and potentially pushed as far down the line as 2030, I again asked the government what this would mean for the people of Waterloo Region.

It was only the next day that Metrolinx and local Conservative MPPs publicly stated that there would be no delay in the delivery of two-way, all-day GO to Kitchener. In the same statement, Metrolinx could not provide a delivery date.

How could there be no delay and also no delivery date?

We know that Doug Ford makes stuff up to suit his interests - so we can't let him delete dates and deadlines for this project and still claim that nothing has changed.

We also know that Metrolinx has a history of siding with elected governments and legitimizing partisan transit plans, even if they are not in the best interests of Ontarians or a solid investment.

In her 2018 annual report, Ontario's auditor general found that in relation to the construction of two GO stations in Vaughan, Metrolinx "inappropriately changed its recommendations" after being influenced by the Minister of Transportation and the City of Toronto. Metrolinx "had originally concluded that the stations' costs and disadvantages significantly outweighed their benefits."

So, when Metrolinx's CEO stands beside local Conservative MPPs and says there is no delay in a project that has been separated from the main GO expansion business plan and no longer has a firm timeline, it is my responsibility to challenge their 'plan.'

Under the Ford government, Metrolinx is on the record saying that their new "market-driven approach" means all planned projects could be delayed.

So, my question to our local Conservative MPPs is: When will two-way, all-day GO along the full length of the Kitchener line be delivered? Show us the plan.

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