Patrick Brown PCs Vote Against Safer School Zones Act
TORONTO ONTARIO – This afternoon following Question Period, Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MPP Jim McDonell and the Ontario PC Caucus voted against important legislation that protects school children, seniors, other pedestrians and cyclists.
This is in spite of the PCs previously indicating support for such measures:
“Conservative MPP Michael Harris said his party has ‘always supported initiatives that help make our schools and communities and high-risk zones safer…’ (Toronto Star, November 10, 2016)
“If this is something that the communities are supportive of—and I believe they are—it’s something that I would personally be very much in favour of. We want to make sure that this doesn’t become a political football that gets kicked around.” (PC MPP John Yakabuski, Hansard, February 21, 2017)
By voting against Bill 65, Safer School Zones Act the PC caucus voted against legislation that would give municipalities more tools to improve safety in community safety zones and school zones.
Measures in the legislation include:
- Automated speed enforcement (ASE) technology on municipal roads in community safety zones and school zones, which takes pictures of speeders’ licence plates and is already used in many parts of North America and Europe.
- The ability to create zones with reduced speed limits to decrease the severity of pedestrian-vehicle collisions in urban areas.
- A streamlined process for municipalities to participate in Ontario’s Red Light Camera program without the need for lengthy regulatory approval.
“It is deeply disappointing that the Patrick Brown PCs would vote against legislation that is designed to empower municipalities in order to protect our most vulnerable,” said Liberal MPP Steven Del Duca.
I am 100% in favor of safe school zones as well as for ordinary people and seniors and everyone. I see total insanity of drivers here in Ottawa and I have two main arteries here where it is like driving on the autobaun in Germany at pel mel high speed. The stupid sheeple don’t even move over for emergency vehicles and you have to see this to believe it. Cameras are needed including cops.