NDP insists Metrolinx CEO be removed over billion-dollar LRT fiasco

QUEEN'S PARK - Today, Joel Harden (Ottawa Centre), Official Opposition NDP Critic for Transit, called for accountability from Conservative Transportation Minister Sarkaria after disgraced Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster once again failed to meet a crucial deadline on the Eglinton LRT project.

It has now been two months since Verster asked Ontarians left waiting for transit to “give us some space,” and pledged to provide an update after two months.

Verster has since pocketed an additional $160,000 while Ontarians endure the consequences of this continual delay.

"The Minister keeps boasting about the largest public transit expansion in Ontario’s history, but they're on pace for the longest attempt to bring public transit access to the people of this province," said Harden. "It's an empty promise at the expense of hardworking taxpayers. Phil Verster, formerly ousted from Scotland due to his mismanagement of the ScotRail Alliance and controversies surrounding service reliability, is thriving in Ontario while taxpayers foot the bill for his incompetence.”

"This disruption has bankrupted countless local businesses due to traffic flow issues. Why is the government allowing Verster to keep his job? This project is a billion dollars over budget and three years behind schedule. It's unacceptable that Phil Verster remains in a position to profit while Ontarians pay the price."

Just weeks after Verster announced that he had no timeline on when the Eglinton Crosstown LRT would finally open, Ford’s corrupt Conservatives extended his contract and gave him a raise that puts his salary at over a million dollars.