Report criticizes city's battle with port authority

A report released Thursday blasts the city for the way it has dealt with the Toronto Port Authority over the years.

The report,released by the federal Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, reviewed operations of theport authority and the controversial island airport.

New Democratic Party MP Olivia Chow called the report a "total whitewash" and said it "shows contempt of the people in Toronto and for the city of Toronto."

Opponents hadanxiously awaited the report, hoping it would call for the closure of the port authority or transfer its control from federal hands to the city, a move which couldhave led to shutting it down.

Instead, the report fully endorsed the actions of the port authority, including its successful lawsuit against the city in 2001 over compensation for thecancellation of bridge construction to the island.

The 127-page review of the Toronto Port Authority's actions over the past few years concluded that the federal agency has acted properly and is rightly a federal not a municipal agency.

Completed by retired bureaucrat Roger Tass, the reportblamed various city councils for conflicts surrounding the island airport and causing difficulties for the agency by demanding unreasonably high taxes andflip-floppingon itsposition on the waterfront airport.

"I find the report, it's really unsubstantive,"responded Mayor David Miller. "I was very surprised by the tone and quality of this report."

Miller successfully campaigned in the 2003 electionon a promise to prevent the building of the bridge and has called the port authority a rogue agency that acts contrary to the interests of Toronto residents.

Port authority officialssaidtheagency ispleased with the report and is happy that the review cleared the air about the agency's existence.

"It is nice to have a third party come in and review the process and come to this result," said Michele McCarthy, chair of the port authority.