The Premier says her government would be open to going back to the drawing board on controversial plans for 2 new GO Train stations.
Kathleen Wynne insists that construction will not begin unless it can be demonstrated that there's solid evidence that its the best way to proceed, adding that Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca on Tuesday sent a letter to Ontario's public transit agency recommending it take another look.
Government emails show that Del Duca's office twisted arms at Metrolinx to build a station in his Vaughan riding.
The approval of transit stations on Lawrence East in Scarborough, and on Kirby Road in Vaughan was voted in on a closed-door meeting of the agency's board and went against advice from a taxpayer-funded study.
It said both stations would hurt the transit network and lead to more traffic on the road.
Wynne stressed that the $120-million project (for both stations) will not go ahead unless it can be shown that those locations make the most sense.
The Ontario Progressive-Conservatives have asked the provincial auditor general to investgate.
PC Transportation Critic Michael Harris accuses the appoval process of being "corrupted" by Del Duca's "interference."
"We believe this was a politically-motived decision that ignored the experts' analysis to suit the Liberal Party; not the taxpayer," says Harris, pointing out that an election is only months away.
Ontario's auditor general typically only investigates after a public project is completed.