Let Ottawa's New Council Decide

Taxpayers Group Urges Mayor to Come Clean on all Details of Light Rail Contract

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) responded favourably to Treasury Board President John Baird's announcement that the federal government's financial commitment to Ottawa's light rail project will be contingent on the deal being ratified by the new city council.

"Taxpayers have been misled from the get-go and it is about time the light rail project got looked at by fresh eyes," stated CTF research director Adam Taylor. "This project has been cloaked in secrecy and half truths for months, and taxpayers and all Ottawa residents deserve to hear the facts before the municipal election in November."

For months, Ottawa's mayor has stated that the light rail deal must be signed by October to avoid millions of dollars in penalties. Federal officials, who only got to see the documents recently, have discovered that the deadline isn't actually until mid-December.

"Ottawa's mayor has not been forthcoming about all the details of the light rail project and taxpayers deserve to have the facts before any decisions are made. To embark on such an ambitious project without all details out in the open and fully costed is bad public policy. Especially since voters are just 32 days away from electing a new city government," concluded Taylor.

For more information, contact CTF research director Adam Taylor at 613-234-6554.

By: Adam Taylor
Posted: October 10, 2006
Topic: Federal

Contact the regional director Gregory Thomas for further information.

Type: News Releases

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