The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is demanding answers from Prime Minister Mark Carney's government after Ottawa ordered planners to consider adding a stop in Kingston to its proposed high-speed rail project without disclosing how much the change could cost taxpayers.Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon recently announced that the federal government has directed Alto, the Crown corporation overseeing the project, to examine the addition of a Kingston stop along the planned rail corridor.The government did not provide a cost estimate for the proposed change.“Adding another stop on the proposed high-speed rail line will come with costs and Prime Minister Mark Carney owes taxpayers an answer about how big that bill will be,” said Noah Jarvis, the CTF’s Ontario director.“Ottawa will have to borrow every dollar for this $90-billion project and it’s already clear it will go overbudget.”The federal government has previously estimated the cost of the high-speed rail project at up to $90 billion, a figure that did not include a Kingston stop.MacKinnon’s announcement followed lobbying efforts by Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson, who had called on the federal government to include the city on the route.Opposition to the project continues to mount from several quarters.Earlier this year, the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, which represents 13 municipalities in the region, issued a statement opposing the high-speed rail proposal.Both the Conservative Party and the Bloc Québécois have also voiced opposition to the Alto project, citing concerns about its cost and the impact on private property rights..Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has said that a future PQ government in Quebec would oppose the project.The CTF argues taxpayers are being asked to support a massive infrastructure project without adequate transparency about the final price tag.“Canadians can’t afford to play a guessing game with the size of bill taxpayers are being handed for a high-speed rail boondoggle,” said Jarvis.“If the government doesn’t even know how much its planned changes to the high-speed rail route will cost, Carney has to put the brakes on the project before taxpayers get rinsed.”
