New provincial Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford says he supports building Hamilton's much-debated $1-billion LRT.

Ford took the reins of the PC party in early March — two months before Ontario's election campaign begins — amid the chaos following the resignation of former leader Patrick Brown over sexual misconduct allegations. Despite the upheaval, the provincial Conservatives lead the most recent polls ahead of the June 7 vote.

The former Toronto city councillor and his late brother, former mayor Toronto Rob Ford, were known as vocal critics of several of that city's planned light rail transit projects. The elder Ford has also recently labelled a priority streetcar experiment on King Street in Toronto another example of the "war" on cars.

But Ford says he is on board with LRT in Hamilton.

"I support building the Hamilton LRT because the people (of) this great city deserve a working transit system. This is an investment that will create jobs, countless new jobs and stimulate economic development," Ford said in a brief emailed statement.

Ford's support echoes the party's previous People's Guarantee commitment to fund existing transit projects like Hamilton's LRT. But Ford had previously vowed to "condense" and abandon parts of that Brown-era campaign document — including its major funding source, a carbon tax.

Ford's statement on LRT means the leaders of the PC, Liberal, NDP and Green parties are all on record supporting the contentious transit project — which opponents have vowed to make a local election issue.

The $1-billion project has yet to go to tender, but project manager Metrolinx recently said it is aiming to release a request for proposals within weeks, rather than months. Regardless, a design-build-operate-maintain contract with a consortium won't be signed before spring 2019.

Local PC candidate Donna Skelly, a vocal LRT opponent, has previously said she understands the party will support city council's transit decision — even if it switches gears to an alternative project following the upcoming October municipal election.

The Spectator has not heard back yet from Ford's office on whether he would also agree to fund such a theoretical alternative council pitch for rapid transit.

Skelly said earlier this week it is a "priority" for her to speak to Ford about LRT and "share my concerns and the stand I have taken in the past."

But until that chat happens, the Ward 7 councillor said she won't weigh in on how the reshaped party might treat the always-contentious transit project.

"I'm not going to say anything at this point," she said. "We have a new leader, he has his own priorities and, until I speak with him specifically about LRT, I'm not going to make (a comment) because I don't know how he feels about it."

Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin has previously said if Hamilton kills the long-planned LRT project funded by his government, the $1 billion would go back in the provincial rapid transit funding pot. The city could then submit a new project and get back in line for funding along with other cities.

NDP Leader and Hamilton MPP Andrea Horwath has publicly backed the LRT plan for the city — but criticized the current Metrolinx plan to allow private operation of public transit. Green Leader Mike Schreiner also recently confirmed his support of LRT to The Spectator.

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