Ontario PCs call for Dwight Duncan to resign from Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority

Today, Ontario PC Transportation Critic Michael Harris called for Dwight Duncan’s resignation as the Chair of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority for making partisan online comments.

“The Chair of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority is a non-partisan position, but Dwight Duncan has been using his platform to spread a partisan agenda,” said Harris. “Dwight Duncan should be spending all his time and efforts trying to get this bridge delivered on-time and on-budget, not grandstanding with partisan attacks.”

Duncan has been heavily criticized for partisan comments as a public office holder, including heaping praise onto the Wynne Liberals’ artificially balanced budget that makes life harder for Ontario families. Prime Minister Trudeau’s own rules for public office holders say they must refrain from “expressing partisan views where this may reasonably be seen to be incompatible with or impair the ability to discharge the office holder’s public duties.”

“After being caught abusing the integrity of the office, Dwight Duncan should do the honourable thing and resign,” added Harris.

The construction of this bridge is supposed to be one of Ontario’s largest infrastructure priorities, with 9,000 trucks crossing the border at Windsor daily, delivering $110 billion in goods each year. The Government of Ontario was already a year late in opening its portion of the project, a $1.4 billion Windsor-Essex Parkway extension on Highway 401, which was supposed to have been completed by 2014 but was delayed until 2015.

“Duncan’s priority should be to get this bridge built. Businesses in Ontario have already been waiting too long for this project, they can’t afford another delay. This bridge is supposed to speed up traffic, reduce costs, and strengthen economies – on both sides of the border,” concluded Harris.