Quality of Life Drives residents to say yes to invest in transportation

Party leaders must have answer for accountable funding by spring budget: CivicAction

TORONTO, Dec. 2, 2013 /CNW/ - Quality of life trumps other reasons when people say what makes better transportation worth their investment, according to CivicAction's latest campaign highlighting the 32 reasons to invest in our region's transportation priorities. Jobs and economy rank next followed by equity and access to jobs, school and other social activities.

CivicAction and its Regional Transportation Champions delivered highlights of the month-long campaign to elected officials at Queen's Park today along with a clear message: we expect dedicated and accountable measures in the spring 2014 budget that will fully deliver the transportation priorities and benefits people need and deserve.

The work of Anne Golden's Transit Investment Strategy Advisory Panel - which is due to report by mid-December - is expected to guide the Province in developing measures for the budget.

"It's time for all party leaders to clearly spell out how they will fund the approximately $2 billion a year we need for the next wave of transportation priorities," said John Tory, Chair of CivicAction.

"But funding measures only take us so far," Tory said. "While residents and businesses are clear about the benefits of better transportation, we need to be convinced our money will be well taken care of - that it gets raised fairly, that it gets spent rationally, and that it delivers a system we can be proud of to pass on to the next generation. Fear of seeing their money misspent is a major obstacle standing in the way of public consensus on transportation funding."

Tory outlined other stipulations in his appeal: "For those who say eliminating waste in government will pay for it all, let us see the list of specific cuts. For those who say it can come from corporations we need them to spell out how this can be done without threatening jobs or investment in Ontario. We also call on elected officials at other levels. You have a role to play too, to show that you're ready to get behind provincial leaders on this."

Since CivicAction launched its Pledge to Get a Move On this spring, 133 politicians (more than a third of all politicians across the region), have joined close to 5000 residents in pledging their support for new ways to fund transportation, provided those ways are dedicated, efficient, transparent & accountable, regional, fair, and sustainable. Signatories include 16 mayors, the Premier, the Ministers of Finance and Transportation, provincial NDP critics for GTA Issues, Urban Transportation, and Finance, and Councillors, MPPs, and MPs from across the political spectrum. (See below for a full list of politicians who have pledged.)

Throughout November, Champions engaged employees, constituents, members, and commuters with a speaker's corner in Union Station, stunts on subways, lunch and learns, videos, Your32-branded candy and postcards at offices, airports, schools, and conferences, and many other activities across the region.

Campaign Update: See the full December 2013 Campaign Update visit: http://your32.com/december-2013-campaign-update/.

About CivicAction's Your32 campaign - CivicAction and its 50+ team of civic Champions and Regional Co-Captains aim to build support for a better regional transportation system and the need for new sustainable ways to pay for it. For more information, visit www.your32.com.

About CivicAction - For the past 10 years, the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance (CivicAction) has brought together senior executives and rising leaders from all sectors to tackle some of our region's toughest social, economic and environmental challenges. CivicAction sets a non-partisan agenda, builds strategic partnerships with organizations, and launches campaigns, programs and organizations that transform our region. For more information, visit: www.civicaction.ca, @CivicActionGTA

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133 Elected Officials who have signed CivicAction's Your32 Pledge to Get a Move On:

Halton:
Mayor Rick Goldring, Burlington
Councillor Marianne Meed Ward, Ward 2 Burlington
Councillor Jack Dennison, Ward 4 Burlington
Mayor Rick Bonnette, Halton Hills
Councillor Ann Lawlor, Ward 4 Halton Hills
Regional Councillor Jane Fogal, Wards 3 & 4 Halton Hills
Mayor Gordon Krantz, Milton
Councillor Sharon Barkley, Ward 1, Milton
Councillor Greg Nelson, Ward 2, Milton
Councillor Arnold Huffman, Ward 5, Milton
Councillor Mike Cluett, Ward 6, Milton
Councillor Rick Di Lorenzo, Ward 7
Mayor Rob Burton, Oakville
Regional Councillor Tom Adams, Ward 6, Oakville
Councillor Ralph Robinson, Ward 1, Oakville
Councillor Pam Damoff, Ward 2, Oakville
Councillor Dave Gittings, Ward 3, Oakville
Councillor Marc Grant, Ward 5 Oakville
Kevin Daniel Flynn, MPP, Oakville

Hamilton:
Councillor Brian McHattie, Ward 1, Hamilton
Monique Taylor, MPP, Hamilton Mountain
Chris Charlton, MP, Hamilton Mountain
David Christopherson, MP, Hamilton Centre
Wayne Martson, MP, Hamilton East-Stoney Creek

Durham:
Mayor Steve Parish, Ajax
Regional Councillor Shaun Collier, Ward 1 & 2, Ajax
Regional Councillor Colleen Jordan, Ward 3 & 4, Ajax
Councillor Renrick Ashby, Ward 2, Ajax
Councillor Joanne Dies, Ward 3, Ajax
Councillor Pat Brown, Ward 4, Ajax
Councillor Wendy Partner, Ward 4, Clarington
Councillor Doug Dickerson, Ward 2, Pickering
Councillor David Pickles, Ward 3, Pickering
Councillor Peter Rodrigues, Ward 3, Pickering
Regional Councillor Don Mitchell, Whitby
Councillor Elizabeth Roy, Ward 2, Whitby

Peel:
Chair Emil Kolb, Chair of Region of Peel
Regional Councillor Elaine Moore, Ward 1 & 5 Brampton
Regional Councillor John Sprovieri, Ward 9 & 10, Brampton
Councillor John Hutton, Ward 2 & 6, Brampton
Mayor Marolyn Morrison, Caledon
Regional Councillor Richard Paterak, Ward 1 Caledon
Regional Councillor Allan Thompson, Ward 2, Caledon
Regional Councillor Richard Whitehead, Ward 3 & 4, Caledon
Mayor Hazel McCallion, Mississauga
Councillor Patricia Mullin, Ward 2, Mississauga
Councillor Chris Fonseca Ward 3, Mississauga
Councillor Bonnie Crombie, Ward 5, Mississauga
Councillor Ron Starr, Ward 6, Mississauga
Councillor Nando Iannicca, Ward 7, Mississauga
Councillor Pat Saito, Ward 9, Mississauga
Minister Charles Sousa, MPP, Mississauga South
Jagmeet Singh, MPP, Bramalea-Gore-Malton

Toronto:
Councillor Karen Stintz, Ward 16
Councillor Ana Bailao, Ward 18
Councillor Mike Layton, Ward 19
Councillor Adam Vaughan, Ward 20
Councillor Joe Mihevc, Ward 21
Councillor Josh Matlow, Ward 22
Councillor John Parker, Ward 26
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, Ward 27
Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon, Ward 32
Councillor Michael Thompson, Ward 47
Councillor Chin Lee, Ward 41
Premier Kathleen Wynne, MPP, Don Valley West
Minister Glen Murray, MPP, Toronto Centre
Minister Eric Hoskins, MPP, St. Paul's
Michael Prue, MPP, Beaches-East York
Jonah Schein, MPP, Davenport
Cheri DiNovo, MPP, Parkdale-High Park
Laura Albanese, MPP, York South-Weston
Rosario Marchese, MPP, Trinity-Spadina
Lorenzo Berardinetti, MPP, Scarborough Southwest
David Zimmer, MPP, Willowdale
Michael Coteau, MPP, Don Valley East
Mike Colle, MPP, Eglinton-Lawrence
Bas Balkissoon, MPP, Scarborough-Rouge River
Mitzie Hunter, MPP, Scarborough-Guildwood
Matthew Kellway, MP, Beaches-East York
Andrew Cash, MP, Davenport
Kirsty Duncan, MP, Etobicoke-North
Peggy Nash, MP, Parkdale-High Park
Dan Harris, MP, Scarborough Southwest
Rathika Sitsabaiesan, MP, Scarborough-Rouge River
Carolyn Bennett, MP, St. Paul`s
Craig Scott, MP, Toronto-Danforth
Olivia Chow, MP, Trinity-Spadina
Chungsen Leung, MP, Willowdale
Mike Sullivan, MP, York South-Weston
Judy Sgro, MP, York West
Mark Adler, MP, York Centre

York:
Chair Bill Fisch, Chair of York Region
Mayor Geoffrey Dawe, Aurora
Councillor Chris Ballard, Aurora
Councillor Paul Pirri, Aurora
Mayor Virginia Hackson, East Gwillimbury
Mayor Robert Grossi, Georgina
Deputy Mayor Danny Wheeler, Georgina
Mayor Steve Pellegrini, King
Councillor Cleve Mortelliti, Ward 1, King
Councillor Debbie Schaefer, King
Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Markham
Deputy Mayor Jack Heath, Markham
Regional Councillor Gordon Landon, Markham
Regional Councillor Joe Li, Markham
Regional Councillor Jim Jones, Markham
Councillor Valerie Burke, Ward 1, Markham
Councillor Howard Shore, Ward 2, Markham
Councillor Don Hamilton, Ward 3, Markham
Councillor Carolina Moretti, Ward 4, Markham
Councillor Colin Campbell, Ward 5, Markham
Councillor Alan Ho, Ward 6, Markham
Councillor Logan Kanapathi, Ward 7 Markham
Councillor Alex Chiu, Ward 8, Markham
Mayor Tony Van Bynen, Newmarket
Regional Councillor John Taylor, Newmarket
Mayor Dave Barrow, Richmond Hill
Regional Councillor Brenda Hogg, Richmond Hill
Regional Councillor Vito Spatafora, Richmond Hill
Councillor Castro Liu, Ward 3, Richmond Hill
Councillor Lynn Foster, Ward 4, Richmond Hill
Councillor Nick Papa, Ward 5, Richmond Hill
Councillor Godwin Chan, Ward 6, Richmond Hill
Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Vaughan
Regional Councillor Michael Di Biase, Vaughan
Councillor Tony Carella, Ward 2, Vaughan
Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco, Ward 4, Vaughan
Alan Shefman, Ward 5, Vaughan
Mayor Wayne Emmerson, Whitchurch-Stouffville
Helena Jaczek, MPP, Oak Ridges-Markham
Hon. Michael Chan, MPP, Markham-Unionville
Reza Moridi, MPP, Richmond Hill
John McCallum, MP, Markham-Unionville

SOURCE: CivicAction

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