After facing years of criticism and calls to resign for presiding over chronically delayed transit projects such as the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, Phil Verster is stepping down as CEO of Metrolinx.
Infrastructure Ontario CEO Michael Lindsay will take over the provincial transit agency on Dec. 16 as interim president and CEO. Lindsay has a good relationship with the PCs. Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma, for instance, once affectionately introduced him as her "partner in crime."
"With his many years of service helping to build our great province ... no one is better positioned to take on this role than Michael,” Premier Doug Ford said in a statement.
“I have given Michael a clear mandate to open Eglinton Crosstown as soon as it is safe to do so. That is his top priority.”
News of Verster's departure broke on Monday afternoon, the day before Ontario Auditor General Shelley Spence is scheduled to publish her annual report. The PC government is already bracing for a document that will examine its performance on several touchy issues, including the "procurement and delivery of selected infrastructure projects."
It also comes after Global News reported on Monday that Verster received an annual $12,000 vehicle allowance from Metrolinx over the last five years, despite not owning a car.
Last week, Verster admitted the unopened Eglinton Crosstown LRT is still plagued by software problems in its signalling systems, although he still expects the train to be running "in the new year." He has steadfastly refused to provide any timelines for its opening.
The NDP has repeatedly called for Verster to be fired over projects' delays. The party even attacked the "embattled CEO" on Monday during question period before his resignation was publicized.
"The multi-billion-dollar Eglinton Crosstown began construction in 2011. It’s a teenager now," said NDP MPP Jill Andrew, whose Toronto—St. Paul's constituents have borne the brunt of the impacts caused by its construction.
"Why has this government let Metrolinx’s Phil Vester continue to drive this train, overrun and over-budget and over-delayed? Why is that happening?" Andrew said.
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner has also called for Verster to be "fired" while speaking to reporters at Queen's Park.
Despite the criticism, the PCs have never publicly wavered in their support for Verster and continued to increase his salary at Metrolinx to more than $840,000 per year.
In a statement, Premier Doug Ford continued to praise the outgoing CEO, saying he "led and supported explosive growth in transit construction, including the largest expansion of public transit in North America."
"The transportation landscape in Ontario will be permanently better because of his contributions," said Ford.
Opposition reaction to Verster's resignation on Monday was positive, with NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam saying the NDP had been calling for "accountability and we got it."
"The disgraced Metrolinx CEO kept collecting oversized paycheques for every project over budget and delayed, (and) is finally leaving the station," Wong-Tam said.
Green MPP Aislinn Clancy said the province needs to come up "with a credible plan to regain public trust" after Verster's "decade of delays."
