Ontario removed highway tolls ahead of election despite previously opting to wait
Global News
Ministry of Transport briefing notes obtained by Global News show the province discussed removing tolls on Highway 412 and 418 in October 2018, and decided against the move.
As far back as 2018, Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government faced internal caucus pressure to scrap tolls on 400-series highways in the eastern portion of the GTA.
The idea, however, was immediately rejected because the province wanted to balance the budget before giving up a cent of revenue.
Four years later, as the Ford government prepared to face voters, officials decided to scrap that fiscally prudent approach and instead offered drivers a pre-election goodie.
The decision resulted in the Progressive Conservative government removing tolls on two Durham region highways — 412 and 418 — and in the process, eliminating more than half-a-billion dollars in revenue.
“At a time when Ontario drivers, families and businesses needed it most, our government acted quickly to deliver meaningful financial relief, by eliminating tolls on highways 412 and 418,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport said in a statement.
Two briefing notes obtained by Global News through a freedom of information request show then-transportation minister John Yakabuski, and then-treasury board president Peter Bethlenfalvy discussed the removal of tolls on Oct. 22, 2018, along with two Durham Region Progressive Conservative MPPs.
But cutting drivers a break — the ministers were informed by ministry staff — would also shave more than $665-million from the provincial budget over the next 30 years.
“The province uses toll revenue to fund important initiatives such as transit and other government priorities,” one line in the Ministry of Transport briefing documents said.
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