by arthur Weinreb, associate Editor,
July 16, 2004
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty inched ever closer to making it into the Guinness Book of Records as the politician who broke the most election promises in a single term. an arbitrator ruled that 407 International Inc. the company that holds a 99-year lease on Highway 407, did not need the provincial government’s permission to increase toll rates. During the election campaign, the McPremier promised (ie. lied) that he would reduce rates on the highway north of Toronto. according to the Fiberals, the company could not increase rates without prior approval of the government. The company denied that they needed prior government approval and the arbitrator, former Judge Drew Hudson, upheld that position.
after the arbitrator’s decision Ontario Minister of Transport, Harinder Takhar, announced that the government would file an appeal. The government that imposed as substantial tax increase in the form of a health premium after promising that Ontarians would not pay "one penny more in taxes" is now willing to spend more of the taxpayers’ hard earned pennies taking the matter further. Takhar stated that the reason the government is appealing the decision is to protect the interest of the public. Hogwash.
Protection of the public sounds good, but the source of the statement must be considered. after all it comes from a member of a political party that constantly lies. any similarity between what this government says and the truth is strictly coincidental. The only people that the Liberals are trying to protect are themselves from the potential fallout from yet another broken campaign promise.
During last fall’s election campaign, the Fibs promised that they would continue the price cap on hydro rates that were imposed by the previous Conservative government. That promise, like most of the other major ones, didn’t last too long. The cap was lifted and hydro rates rose. The government didn’t seem to want to "protect the public" from increased rates for hydro that is obviously a necessity, but they are determined to spend to control tolls on Highway 407 no matter what the cost in doing so.
Unlike hydro, no one really has to use or is dependent upon Highway 407. The 108-kilometer road that runs east/west and is located just north of Toronto is far from the only way to get from point a to point B. No one ever has to use it. There are alternative routes to travel, including the almost parallel Highway 401. It’s true that a trip along the 401 will be more congested, will take longer and motorists run the risk of being trapped on the highway by what seems to be a never ending stream of flipped over tractor trailers. Nevertheless the 401 is a toll free alternative. and we haven’t yet reached the stage where access to a less traveled highway is a constitutional right, although it is not difficult to envisage that right being entrenched at some point in the future.
Unlike other increases in taxes or prices that are under (or as in this case, thought to be under) the control of the government, there is no great hue and cry about the rapidly escalating cost of using Highway 407. There are not great thongs of people taking to the streets or the grounds of the legislature to protest the price increases. There are no boycotts planned. Those who use the road, although they would undoubtedly rather pay less than more, seem content to pay the tolls no matter how much they have risen. Many of the highway’s users are business people and as the saying goes, time is money. If they feel that they are economically better off to pay the toll and save the time, who is the government to interfere?
The song and dance about protecting the interest of the public is an unwarranted interference of commercial interests by a government that feels that they and only they know what is best for the poor unwashed masses. Interfering with the cost of such things as hydro where lack of it can be fatal is one thing. Interfering with which route someone will take to get home is another.
This has nothing to do about protecting the interest of the public. It has everything to do with protecting the interest of the Liberal government.
Dalton McGuinty has told so many lies. What’s one more?