The following are transcriptions of responses by the Mayoral candidates to Bridge/tunnel Question at Italian Debate, held on September 14, 2010

George Smitherman:  Well first off I want to say that I think that Porter Airlines, which now employs 900 people, is one of the great economic successes of Toronto in the last numbers of years. And when we consider especially that they bought all their aircraft from the largest industrial employer in all of Toronto, that to have one, the success continues to grow. I think that the tunnel proposed by the Port Authority, which will be a pedestrian tunnel is something that I can support. I think that there is one risk which I have talked to people about, I’ve talked to Robert DeLuce at Porter, I’ve spoken to the Port Authority about it: that airport is a relatively modest facility. It really has one operational runway and they are about to jam even more flights through there. The quality of customer service, which is what people like the most about Porter, in my opinion, is going to be put at risk by bringing Continental Airlines and Air Canada in there. I wish it was legal and possible for it to be a Porter only facility and I think we should be careful about putting too many flights through there; we may kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

Rob Ford: I supported the Bridge and or the Tunnel 100%. I supported the Island Airport right from the beginning. When everyone was saying no, no, no, I said yes. I supported Deluce and his efforts and we were successful and this tunnel will go through and or a bridge. I will be supporting it 100% if I’m fortunate enough to be mayor of this great city. Thank you,

Joe Pantalone: Let me tell you why I don’t support the tunnel proposed. Obviously if they have the right to do it, they can do it. But if they need the city’s approval, I do not support it. If you are going anywhere in Europe, Asia or the United States - when you have to travel distances like from Toronto-Montreal, Toronto-New York, Toronto-Ottawa, you don’t take the plane, you take the train. High speed trains. There should be high speed trains from Toronto to Montreal. Frankly, why would I want to support the technology that goes up in the air, which is much more expensive (not a completely accurate transcription) that has a big expense on the environmentally and so forth. Plus you have to go through security and plus you have to wait and so forth. It is quicker for Torontonians to go to Montreal or New York or Windsor if there were high speed trains like they do in Europe. However, there are food companies that don’t like that (something – something) so they call Porter Airlines and Air Canada, because they lose a lot of business. To me a government for the future is what is best for the corporation, not what is best for their Airlines (?).

Rocco Rossi: Well if we wait for Joe’s vision we are going to wait a long time. Thank goodness for Rob Deluce who has created 1000 direct jobs, helped to underpin 5000 jobs at Bombardier Javelin in Downsview and thousands of thousands of jobs in indirect jobs not to mention the  incredible service it’s providing to both business and tourist and putting Toronto literally on the map and making it a more attractive business destination which is something that we all benefit from. So, yes as campaign manager to John Tory I fought for the bridge in 2003 and I will support either the bridge or the tunnel which is the one the Port Authority is now moving forward on, uh- 100%.

Sarah Thomson: My campaign manager or director is a man named John Tory Jr. and he is also a pilot. His company is called ‘Private Air’ and they fly off the island airport; so he would kill me if I didn’t support the bridge. But actually, there are also some other ideas: why don’t we fill in the western channel there; it’s dangerous for boats coming through; if we filled it in we would get more land; I think we wouldn’t have to build a tunnel or a bridge, we can just drive across. So, there are so many different ideas out here in the community, out here in the private sector. I want to open the doors to city hall and bring these ideas in, because we have great ideas and instead of getting our planners and bureaucrats to make all the decisions for us, I think it’s time we open up the doors and bring the good ideas in, like filling in that western channel and creating more land and more ways of using the Toronto Island Airport. Thank you.