Statement by Jonathan Heemskerk

A promise is a promise. The Government of Ontario promised to build a LRT system in Hamilton. They current government of Ontario said they would uphold that promise after it was elected. You and your government need to stand by your words.

It seems obvious from various news articles that you are FUDGING your numbers to come up with $5.5 billion dollars compared to the original $1 billion. From this article , it says you are including $2 Billion dollars of ongoing operating costs that were not in the scope of the $1 Billion. You need to compare like for like.

STOP LYING to us constituents.

And STOP treating anyone who isn't in the GTA as if they don't matter. Mississauga and Toronto still get THEIR transit systems - why are they more important than Hamilton? Because they voted PC?

If you were a business, I would never, ever, deal with you again. But as the government, we have no choice to go to someone else without uprooting our entire lives. That is why we need to have some kind of trust in the officials we elect. You are severely breaking that trust.

We had a municipal election here in Hamilton that centered on this very issue. There was a VERY clear message in those results, with Mayor Fred Eisenberger and a majority of Pro-LRT councilors being elected. Hamilton WANTS the LRT.

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent. People have been forced to leave their homes to make way. Infrastructure that sorely needs upgrading was going to be looked after. All that down the drain.

Not to mention the hundreds of millions of other investment that is happening BECAUSE of the LRT. Condos are being built, houses being bought, businesses starting up, all in anticipation of the LRT line. All of that is in jeopardy now. What if all those construction sites shut down? Is that good for Hamilton or for Ontario?

I put my money where my mouth is. I bought my house in 2018 in a location that would be well served by the LRT. It was something we were looking forward to having, to being able to be better connected to the rest of our city. Hamilton was a city on the move, with good things happening and investing in its future. I'm proud to live here now to try to help build that future but YOU and your government are killing it,

This short-sighted decision with accomplish nothing. What else can move people as effectively as a dedicated transit system? More buses with just burn more fossil fuels, take up more space in traffic, and continue to lag in ridership because nobody WANTS to take a bus. Just because you're a Conservative government doesn't mean you have to be willfully ignorant about the benefits of transit, greenhouse gas reduction, and long-term investments in infrastructure.

Lastly. To minister Mulroney - To call a press conference, and then run away when people actually showed up? To try to move locations, to try to prevent city councilors from attending to look out for our best interests. Going so far as to call the police?! You need to face the results of your decisions. You need to answer tough questions people have for you. That is the essence of being an elected official. I have no other word for you but COWARD.

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