10 Friday, May 11, 2018 brooklintowncrier.com 12 per cent cut on Hydro Bills, for an average family savings of $173 per year; Ending hospital hallway healthcare by adding 15,000 long-term care beds within five years and 30,000 beds over ten years; and Good jobs will be created by lowering taxes, including a job-creating corporate income tax reduction from 11.5% to 10.5%. The voters of Brooklin and Whitby deserve to have their voices listened to at Queen's Park. I will continue to be that voice as an MPP in a new Ontario Progressive Conservative government. If elected, what steps will you take to ameliorate the toll road issue out here with highways 407 and 412? As a municipal Councillor both for the Town of Whitby and Region of Durham, as well as the MPP over the past 15 years, I know firsthand how important roads and highways are to our community's economic development and safety. I'm proud of the part I played to help get Highway 407 extended to Durham Region. However, all other Highways that link Highway 401 and Highway 407, except Highway 412, are non-toll roads. Despite my Statements in the Legislature, introduction of Petitions from local residents, as well as input from residents, businesses and municipal governments, the Liberal Government went ahead, and made Highway 412 a toll-road. Highway 407 tolls are tied to traffic volumes. The busier the highway, the higher the toll. Yet Highway 412 is vastly under-utilized because the rate per kilometre is too high relative to the volume it currently carries. The high fixed rates of tolls discourage drivers from using it. It's clear that the Liberal Government has no intention of addressing the issue. That is a shameful response to the taxpayers and businesses in our community who deserve a better transportation system and to have their voices heard. The Liberal Government has simply run out of ideas when it comes to meeting the real needs of Ontario's citizens and businesses. Higher taxes, tolls and more stifling Regulations are not the way to promote economic growth and help hard working Brooklin/ Whitby families. As your MPP, I will continue to be a strong voice for Brooklin and Whitby taxpayers at Queen's Park. With respect to Highway 407, 412 and 401, as part of a new Progressive Conservative Government, I will advocate for: Finding a proper balance so that Highway 412 is affordable for families and businesses; Full interchange, including eastbound ramp, from Lakeridge Road onto Highway 401; and Accelerate widening of Highway 401 and building of more GO Stations east of Whitby to ease traffic volumes, particularly across the northern part of the town, through Brooklin. It's time for change and I look forward to continuing to be your strong voice at Queen's Park. had on the health and development of my own children and I strongly believe cost should not be a barrier to these opportunities. That is one of the main reasons I started my non-profit organization Camda. I would also fight for a local sporting complex that provides a diversity of sporting activities as well as arts and music that fully accommodates our community's needs and creates greater access for families. Whitby is a great place to call home. Our town has so much potential for smart growth and I'm eager to talk to residents and hear their ideas and priorities. If elected, what steps will you take to ameliorate the toll road issue out here with highways 407 and 412? If elected, one of my main priorities would be to work with our municipalities and the region to address areas still affected by heavy traffic and congestion, such as Baldwin Street. Our time should be spent with our loved ones, not sitting in traffic. The Liberal plan has responded to these concerns with one of the biggest transit investments in Ontario's history. This has led to much improvement, but we still need to do more to get ahead of our growth. The sale of Hwy 407 by the Conservative Mike Harris government is still unforgivable. Not only is it a 99-year lease to a single foreign private company, but the government of the day did not implement any regulations for price setting (which is why we have seen so many price surges) and the province does not share in any of the profits generated by the 407ETR. That means that any of the revenues collected don't go back to repairing our existing or building new roads. Hwy 412 was built to create a fast link between highways 401 and 407 and help to alleviate traffic. When first proposed, in full consultation and in agreement with the Durham Region and the Whitby municipality, it was always intended to be a tolled road. However, the province set the Hwy 412 rates to be lower than the privately owned Hwy 407, between 15 and 30% lower depending on the time of day and vehicle driven. These lower rates also apply to the provincially owned expansion of the 407 eastward. However, if there is clear evidence that the highway is not being well used as a result of the tolls, if elected MPP, I would be happy to bring this to the attention of the Minister of Transportation and re- the toll road issue out here with highways 407 and 412? The sell-off of Ontario's 407 by the Conservative government was a colossal mistake. The Conservatives bound us to a contract that allows drivers to be gouged. The Liberals made things even worse for us by taking a much needed north-south commuter road, one that starts and ends in our community, and turning it into another toll road. This important north-south corridor sits virtually empty while traffic on the 401, Lakeridge Rd. and downtown Whitby gets worse and worse. We have more pollution, more frustration, more congestion and less safety. Making the 412 a toll road wasn't right or fair. We shouldn't keep getting shortchanged. I was one of 6000 residents who signed a petition calling for the removal of the tolls, I stand by that position. I will never stop advocating the removal of the tolls. PROVINCIAL ELECTION - JUNE 7, 2018 Lorne Coe Progressive Conservative Leisa Washington Liberal Niki Lundquist New Democratic Party All three candidates responses continued from previous page.