(Editor's note:  Olivia Chow, Member of Parliament for Trinity-Spadina, which includes the Toronto Island Airport, released this press advisory today.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2009

 Ottawa-New Democrat Critic for GTA Issues Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina) introduced a private member's bill today that seeks to dissolve the Toronto Port Authority and return all assets under its control to the City of Toronto.

 Since the federal agency's inception, it has been rocked by scandals and allegations of mismanagement and wasteful spending. It currently manages all port assets including the shipping areas and the island airport.

 "Toronto Port Authority is a rogue agency that is unaccountable and out of control. We must put behind us this era of scandal and cover up and give Toronto control of its waterfront," said Chow.

 The Toronto Port Authority has control over the Island Airport and is currently looking to expand operations with a taxpayer-subsidized tunnel to the facilities.

 "If the Toronto Port Authority gets its way on building a tunnel no one wants, it would have cost taxpayers a total of over 100 million since its inception with little to show for it," commented Chow. "Development of the Toronto waterfront should be focused on greening it and making it more environmentally sound, not the complete opposite like the Toronto Port Authority's backward plan to increase industrial operations," Chow added.

 The introduction of the private member's bill comes in the wake of allegations that the current Minister of Transport, John Baird unilaterally changed the Toronto Port Authority constitution to protect a fellow federal minister. The constitutional change allowed Baird to appoint two more conservative party loyalists to the TPA board who in turn blocked investigations into alleged mismanagement by former Toronto Port Authority Board CEO and current Minister of Natural Resources, Lisa Raitt.

 “Minister Baird changed the Board from seven to nine members in order to cover up alleged management violations of former CEO Lisa Raitt. That is why I also asked the Auditor General to conduct an audit of the Toronto Port Authority,” said Chow.

 Chow is also writing to the ethics commissioner to investigate potential conflicts of interests in decisions made by board members. 

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 For more information, please contact
Robert Andreacchi, Office of Olivia Chow: 613-995-1594