Olivia Chow, MP

Transit Strategy: Olivia and NDP Colleagues Counter Conservative Committee Report

New Democrats Table Dissenting Opinion, Countering Watered-Down Conservative Report on National Tansit Strategy

February 15, 2012

OTTAWA – Official Opposition Transport Critic Olivia Chow (MP for Trinity-Spadina) and her NDP colleagues on the Transport Committee today tabled a crucial document in the House of Commons, calling for a National Public Transit Strategy. This comes in response to a watered-down Conservative committee report that is silent on the need for a national policy framework for public transit.

With their report, the Conservatives on the committee chose to ignore testimonies from dozens of witnesses that spoke out for a National Transit Strategy. To have the voices of these transit experts heard, the NDP committee members today presented their three page dissenting opinion in the House of Commons.

In the document, Olivia and her colleagues call for a clear federal leadership role in assessing the country’s transit needs, financing and coordination with the other levels of government; dedicated, long-term funding for public transit. They also emphasize the role that Canadian manufacturers and service providers play in getting citizens across the nation the 21st century transit they deserve.

The dissenting opinion also outlines the limited role that the NDP committee members think public-private partnerships (3Ps) should play in future transit projects that are financed with federal funds.

For the text of the dissenting opinion, please click here.

For the full text of the committee report, including the NDP dissenting opinion, please click here.

For Olivia Chow’s letter to the National Transit Strategy supporters, please click here.