Local priorities raised in Ontario Legislature

NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2014

Local priorities raised in Ontario Legislature

(Queen’s Park) – The Highway 6 Morriston bypass, full day, two way GO train service, and improved
rural high speed Internet are three key priorities for residents of Wellington-Halton Hills, says
Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott.

Mr. Arnott laid out these priorities in a statement in the Ontario Legislature on July 7.

“Highway 6 serves as a vital link between the 401 and the Hamilton-Niagara region and the US
border,” said Mr. Arnott. “A bypass around Morriston will eliminate a major traffic bottleneck,
improve safety and allow for the free flow of goods to the border.”

Working with the Council of the Township of Puslinch and the County of Wellington for many years,
Mr. Arnott has been a strong advocate for placing the project on the Ministry’s 5 year plan.

The veteran MPP also raised the issue of full day, two way GO train service between Waterloo
Region and the GTA and called on the Government to bring forward details of its plan.

“During the election campaign, the Government promised full-day, two-way GO train service
between Waterloo region and the GTA,” he pointed out. “What is the timeframe for keeping this
commitment? How does the government define “full-day two-way service”? Will this include more
stops in Wellington–Halton Hills?”

The third point Mr. Arnott emphasized was the need to develop a public/private partnership to
ensure access to high speed Internet in rural Ontario. He has supported a call for action on this
issue by the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus.

“Lack of access to high-speed Internet in rural Ontario continues to be a concern. Reliable and
affordable access to high-speed Internet is essential in today’s economy,” Mr. Arnott argued. “A
provincial strategy for expanding affordable high-speed Internet would help our local businesses
grow and attract new investment to our rural communities.”

“I commend all of these issues to the government and urge immediate support for them,” Mr. Arnott
concluded.

On July 3, Mr. Arnott tabled three separate Private Member’s Resolutions highlighting each of these
issues. They are the first three items on the Legislative Assembly’s Order Paper.

Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott was re-elected to the Ontario Legislature on June 12.

The 41 Provincial Parliament began a summer sitting on July 2, and the session continues.
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Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org

Ontario Hansard – 07-July2014

Mr. Ted Arnott: Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate you and every member of this House on their
successful election on June 12. I’m looking forward to working with each of them over the next four years
in the 41st Parliament as we all seek to make Ontario a better place for all of its residents.
On June 13, the day after the election, we were back to work at my constituency office, and I wrote the
Premier to highlight three key issues in my riding: the Highway 6 Morriston bypass, improved GO train
service, and high-speed Internet in rural Ontario. On July 3, I tabled three private members’ resolutions on
these issues. They are the first three items listed on the order paper today.
Highway 6 serves as a vital link between the 401 and the Hamilton-Niagara region and the US border. A
bypass around Morriston will eliminate a major traffic bottleneck, improve safety and allow for the free
flow of goods to the border.
During the election campaign, the government promised full-day two-way GO train service between
Waterloo region and the GTA. What is the time frame for keeping this commitment? How does the
government define “full-day two-way service”? Will this include more stops in Wellington-Halton Hills?
Finally, lack of access to high-speed Internet in rural Ontario continues to be a concern. Reliable and
affordable access to high-speed Internet is essential in today’s economy. A provincial strategy for
expanding affordable high-speed Internet would help our local businesses grow and attract new
investment to our rural communities.
I commend all of these issues to the government and urge immediate support for them.