An opening salvo in battleground 905

And get ready to rumble at ROMA

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Liberal Leader BONNIE CROMBIE would not take the bait when reporters pressed her on the politics behind Premier DOUG FORD’s move that could restore plans for downtown stops along the proposed route for the Hazel McCallion LRT in the 905.

“I’ll let you speculate,” Crombie told reporters at Queen’s Park.

But that doesn’t mean others aren’t musing about the potential political benefits in a hotly contested electoral district.

It would be a win for Mississauga and Brampton, which have been pushing the government to restore the downtown stops that were initially cancelled as a cost-cutting measure. And while Transportation Minister PRABMEET SARKARIA (who also reps Brampton South) has directed Metrolinx to bring forward a plan to add those stops to the LRT line, it’s not a done deal just yet, per the Mississauga News. Still, Ford has previously expressed support for reinstating the downtown loops, saying he’s listening to local residents.

Why …