City council won't know much about the future funding of light rail transit until after the June 12 provincial election, so it should stop talking about it until then, says Coun. Sam Merulla.
But at least one councillor says he doesn't know how the city is going to avoid it.
LRT is being discussed in the media. It's being discussed among neighbours. But city politicians, at least, should cool it until after the election, said Merulla, who plans to bring forward a motion this month calling for a halt to LRT debate.
'It's like two drunk guys talking about buying a Rolls Royce when they don't have two nickels to rub together'- Coun. Sam Merulla
City council has already agreed to support LRT if the province provides all the capital money for it, estimated in 2011 to be $811 million. The only question mark is which party wins the provincial election, and how much that party is willing to spend on LRT.
"Everything else is nonsense," Merulla said. "It takes our focus away and distracts us from many important issues.
"Until we have an answer on the capital expenditure, there's no reason to talk about it."
Council speculating on LRT now, he said, is "like two drunk guys talking about buying a Rolls Royce when they don't have two nickels to rub together."
Merulla will present a notice of motion at city council on Wednesday. Unless council votes to deal with it then, it will go to a vote on May 28.
Coun. Sam Merulla of Ward 4 will bring up the notion Wednesday of halting LRT debates until after June 12. (Samantha Craggs/CBC)
Coun. Chad Collins of Ward 5 is hesitant about it. He's organizing community meetings with local business owners to talk about LRT. And the subject is inescapable.
"It's unavoidable that it's become an issue," he said.
"I don't know how you push the pause button on it and say you're going to wait. I don't know how you do that."
In an email, Coun. Brad Clark of Stoney Creek, who is a candidate for mayor, said he wouldn't support it.
'I will never support any motion that effectively silences Hamilton councillors, on any matter, during a provincial election.'- Coun. Brad Clark
"I will never support any motion that effectively silences Hamilton councillors, on any matter, during a provincial election," he wrote.
Coun. Brian McHattie, a mayoral candidate and LRT advocate, likes Merulla's motion. Like Merulla, he worries that debate without the funding answer is eroding support for the project.
In the May 1 budget, the defeat of which triggered an election, the Liberal government allocated $15 billion to transit projects in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, including Hamilton "rapid transit." The Liberals say that if reelected, they will fully fund the capital costs of a Hamilton rapid transit system.
NDP leader Andrea Horwath, also MPP for Hamilton Centre, supports 100 per cent capital funding for LRT.
"New Democrats are the party that will get shovels in the ground, and build a transit solution for Hamilton that makes sense."
The Ontario PC party didn't respond to requests for its position on Hamilton transit funding, but leader Tim Hudak has told media that he is against LRT in Hamilton.
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