French joins NDP’s shadow cabinet
By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express
Oshawa MPP Jennifer French has taken over the position of Critic of Infrastructure, Transportation and Highways in the NDP’s official opposition shadow cabinet, and she is raring to go.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” she says. She is especially focused on how she can help Durham Region from her new position.
“It’s a (position) that has so many pieces that connect to our region,” she says.
In order to get prepared, she has been meeting with researchers and delegations from across Ontario to discuss the issues facing the province.
French is looking forward to working with other regions to see how she can help the province, saying, “I’m looking forward to connecting those communities to our own.”
In terms of how the Ford government has done since taking over at Queen’s Park, she is feeling concern and apprehension about where this new government will lead the province.
French blames the current funding freeze the Conservatives put on all provincial projects in place with creating much of the uncertainty.
“I’m hopeful that I will be able to navigate both (portfolios),” she says. “That said, I’m not sure of what seems to be the impulsive nature of this government.”
French also wants to address several issues specific to Durham Region, namely the tolls on Highway 412 and the future Highway 418. She has said that people do now wish to pay the tolls, and are struggling to understand why they have to pay them.
According to French, people are not using these “nice new highways” that have been constructed due to the tolls. To her it is a large factor in the traffic congestion on the 401.
Another issue she wants to address is Ford stating that he would like to extend subway service to Pickering. She points out that Pickering already has GO services, and doesn’t need a subway extension. And while there is no plan currently in place, “we would like to know what is the driving force behind that,” she says.
In terms of the congestion on Harmony Road, she calls it “crazy, ridiculous, stupid traffic.” She believes that this is because Harmony connects with Highway 407, and she hopes that this is another problem that she will be able to address.