Holyday launches petition urging province to support city council’s Scarborough subway plan

TORONTO – Rookie Conservative MPP and former Toronto deputy mayor Doug Holyday wants to ensure the Liberal government supports the Scarborough subway plan adopted by city council, launching a petition Thursday to pressure the province.

The Etobicoke-Lakeshore MPP says the petition will hold the Liberal government accountable to residents of Scarborough.

Holyday says there is too much confusion over the Scarborough subway extension.

“They keep flying by the seat of their pants. We don’t even know what position they’re at this week.”

Holyday says the provincial Tories support the city raising taxes.

“We’re supportive of that plan that they have to put the subway in place and how they pay for it is up to them,” he said.

“They think it’s fair to spread the responsibility — I guess — across their tax base. That’s their decision and we’ll live with it.”

But he and the Tories do not support the province hiking taxes.

Meanwhile, Transportation Minister Glen Murray said the province is “committed to building the Scarborough subway” but did not specify whether it is the provincial proposal or the one adopted by city council.

An environmental assessment will examine both routes.

“The Hudak PCs have no plan to solve our congestion crisis, only ad hoc demands for subways with no idea of how to pay for them. Their reckless proposals to slash services and cancel projects will increase gridlock, delay future subway projects, and threaten the economy’s fragile recovery,” Murray said in a statement.

Originally, the province was pushing for a two-stop subway to Scarborough Town Centre but city council has approved a three-stop subway to Sheppard.

Also on Thursday, Mayor Rob Ford released a statement thanking the Harper government for Scarborough subway funding.