Ontario’s four main party leaders sparred over highways, protection of farmland and the green economy in a televised Toronto debate Monday night, with Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford on the defensive over the proposed Highway 413 but revelling in his growing support from Ontario’s construction unions.
We need affordable homes, not expensive highways that will primarily benefit a few wealthy land speculators,
— Mike Schreiner
Green Party Leader
Polls show the premier’s party looking likely to hold onto a majority after June 2 voting with the Liberals under Steven Del Duca, the NDP behind Andrea Horwath and the Greens under Mike Schreiner fighting to make up ground in the final two weeks of the campaign.
It was three against one on the 413 and the Bradford Bypass with all three opposing leaders suggesting Ford supported the suburban Toronto roadway as a favour to development “buddies.”
They want to build a $10-billion highway, the 413. It’s going make a few of their donors wealthier. It’s not going to do anything for you,
— Steven Del Duca
Liberal Party Leader
“It is now or never to address the climate crisis,” said Schreiner, the lone sitting member of the Green party before the legislature was dissolved. “And that’s why we need to stop Mr. Ford from paving over our future. We need affordable homes, not expensive highways that will primarily benefit a few wealthy land speculators and will make life more expensive for the rest of us.”
Del Duca followed: “Right now they want to build a $10-billion highway, the 413. It’s going make a few of their donors wealthier. It’s not going to do anything for you.”
The Liberals would spend that amount instead on schools.
This is costing tens of billions of dollars a year, being stuck in traffic, and the people in Vaughan, in Caledon… they want the 413,
— Doug Ford
PC Party Leader
The Toronto Conservation Authority calculated that the highway, if built, would erase 2,000 acres of farmland and disrupt 22 wetlands, affecting Greenbelt land in Vaughan, where Del Duca is running.
Schreiner noted the government was not protecting farmland but it had realigned part of the 413 to avoid a golf course owned by a Ford “buddy.”
“He will roll out the red carpets for the Amazons of the world and the big box stores of the world, but when it comes to supporting local farmers, he’ll pave over their farmland,” said the Green leader.
What we don’t need is another massive highway to mansions that nobody can afford,
— Andrea Horwath
NDP Party Leader
Ford framed the issue as providing needed housing and easing highway congestion.
“This is costing tens of billions of dollars a year, being stuck in traffic, and the people in Vaughan, in Caledon…. they want the 413,” said the premier.
“We have two-and-a-half million people coming to this province over the next few years. We need places for them, number one, to live. We need the transportation to get from one point in the province to another, making sure goods are flowing, and you’re going to save half an hour each way.
“That’s an hour that you get to spend with your family.”
Horwath noted her party has long opposed the 413.
“What we don’t need is another massive highway to mansions that nobody can afford,” she said.
Later Ford turned the tables on Horwath, arguing the New Democrats had become out of touch with their traditional base in organized labour. LIUNA executive Joe Mancinelli praised the record of the PCs in announcing his union’s support for the re-election of the Ford government early in the campaign and the painters, electrical workers and boilermakers unions have also announced they back the incumbent.
“The boilermakers don’t support you. The electrical workers don’t support you,” Ford said, addressing Horwath. “You’ve lost touch.”
Asked to discuss climate change policy, the premier outlined his government’s successes in helping to revamp Ontario’s auto industry.
“We brought back the auto sector,” said Ford. “We’re going to be the capital of electric vehicles anywhere in North America.”
Horwath and Del Duca both took shots at the PCs’ environmental plan, with the Liberal arguing Ford and his team have no plan to deal with Ontario’s clean energy needs over the next few years.
“We anticipate that we will see under his leadership there will be a 600-per-cent increase in fossil-burning fuel to produce Ontario’s electricity in the next number of years,” said Del Duca.
Horwath criticized the Ford government’s decision to back away from EV charging early in its tenure and terminate green energy contracts. The Green New Democratic Deal would reduce emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.
“And we’ll do it by making great jobs that help with retrofits,” said Howarth.
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