Mr. Speaker, Monday the citizens of six Toronto area municipalities rejected the Ontario government's proposal for megacity amalgamation. One understands the results of this vote when one considers the substance of these proposals and the fundamentally undemocratic process that accompanied them.
Toronto voters have said no to a proposal which, while purporting to address problems of governance in the Toronto area, ignores the best advice of all municipal government experts. They have said no to a proposal which creates a mega monster, unable to respond to the real needs of the region and too far removed from its citizens for local accountability. They have said no to a fundamentally ill-conceived proposal to finance welfare and housing from the municipal tax base.
Mike Harris and his government should heed the message. The best interests of the Toronto region, which represents 25 per cent of the GDP of this country, is at stake. Now is the time to abandon political partisanship and to work together to find practical solutions to this very important issue.