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Opinion: Grits, Tories see light at end of MasseyTunnel

Since when did replacing the George Massey Tunnel become a federal issue? OK, so that’s a rhetorical question, but a new Fraser River crossing has been getting so much attention during the current federal election campaign that you’d think we’re in t
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Since when did replacing the George Massey Tunnel become a federal issue?

OK, so that’s a rhetorical question, but a new Fraser River crossing has been getting so much attention during the current federal election campaign that you’d think we’re in the process of selecting a representative to send to Victoria, not Ottawa.

Liberal incumbent Carla Qualtrough actually kicked off this tunnel talk before the writ was even dropped by suggesting, in both a letter to fellow politicians and in her last MP newsletter, that her government has financially supported similar worthwhile projects. She urged Premier John Horgan to get moving, although it’s obvious their timelines aren’t compatible, so there won’t be a crossing to throw money at, at least not yet.

Conservative candidate Tanya Corbet didn’t waste much time once the campaign officially launched to join the effort to woo voters with the tunnel, pledging to convene a summit within 100 days of being elected in order to get a replacement back on track. Technically it’s still on track, albeit a rather lengthy one, so I’m not sure a summit would change a whole lot.

Both of their leaders have also weighed in, Justin Trudeau saying during a campaign stop in North Delta last week that his government has the money to be a partner in a new river crossing while Andrew Scheer said his government would prioritize infrastructure projects that shorten commute times, using the George Massey Tunnel replacement as one of his examples.

It’s clear that Delta is a battleground riding, a seat the Liberals would love to retain but one the Conservatives have earmarked to reclaim. However, replacing the tunnel goes beyond Delta because if you can score points with your position on the issue, you can also attract voters in South Surrey-White Rock and Cloverdale-Langley City that regularly use the tube.

All three of those ridings are held by Liberals, but all are in historic Conservative territory, which means they could prove crucial come Oct. 21. They are so critical in fact that candidates have turned to a provincial issue in the hopes of finding an edge.

With both on the same side, however, it doesn’t appear that anyone, or any party, has a clear advantage.