Hamilton will lose $1 billion in provincial cash promised for LRT if council abandons the project, says Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin.

McMeekin, parliamentary assistant to Premier Kathleen Wynne and a former cabinet minister, dismissed recent suggestions by light rail transit opponents that the city could negotiate a different use for the cash, such as express buses or tackling the city's infrastructure repair backlog.

Calls by some councillors for a rethink or a referendum on the project prompted a frustrated Mayor Fred Eisenberger last week to ask the province for clarity on the transit funding ahead of an Oct. 25 meeting on LRT.

McMeekin rejected the possibility of discussing a new plan for the $1 billion, an idea floated by Coun. Donna Skelly, who recently told the Spectator "informal discussions" were happening between some councillors.

"If Hamilton in its infinite wisdom or folly decides they don't want to do LRT, they lose a billion dollars to another community," McMeekin said Monday. "We're not open to behind closed doors meetings with who-knows-who about who-knows-what."

The member for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale said if the cash is not used for the approved LRT project it goes back into the dedicated rapid transit pot for "reallocation."

Hamilton is free to pitch a different transit project, he said, "but any other proposal would have to start from square one."

Brampton recently made a decision to pass on a $300-million, Metrolinx-approved section of the planned new Hurontario LRT that would have extended into the city's downtown in favour of scoping out a different route.

A recent staff update from that city estimates it will take three years to complete an environmental assessment on an alternate route, after which work could begin to design and build the LRT extension "subject to future funding from the provincial and/or federal governments."

Skelly, however, pointed out the premier said in May that "It's never been LRT or nothing," in response to a reporter's questions about political uncertainty in Hamilton.

"With an election coming up ... perhaps it would be in the government's best interest to keep an open mind (about the $1 billion)," Skelly said.

Coun. Chad Collins has also called for a 2018 election referendum on LRT, arguing residents have never had a real chance to weigh in on the plan.

"We asked for money for the Rapid Ready plan. They gave us money for the back end of the plan," he said Friday, pointing to the city's long-term transit blueprint that calls for expanding bus service and growing demand on the road to eventual light rail transit. The city is still searching for hundreds of millions of dollars to expand bus service.

McMeekin said he doesn't support the idea of an "eleventh hour" LRT referendum — especially after his government was accused of dragging its heels on the 100 per cent funding commitment requested by council. "They even passed a motion telling us to get on with it … and we did," he said.

Eisenberger said Friday he's hoping a clear message from the province will encourage opponents of LRT to "stop playing games" and endangering a massive investment in the city via "misinformation."

"I know the province is concerned, I know the premier is concerned," said the mayor, who spoke to government members at an event honouring McMeekin last week.

"I imagine they're wondering what the heck is going on in Hamilton."

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Matthew Van Dongen Matthew Van Dongen is the city hall reporter for the Hamilton Spectator. Email | Twitter

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