"I represent a rural district that has unique and challenging needs that are different from urban centres in the province," said Mr. Reid. "With the reduction of the number of school boards in the province, there is no longer any representation from my district on the board. As a result, decisions that directly impact my area are being made by individuals who do not know all of the issues facing our students and schools.

"Government appointed these new school boards and did not consider placing any qualified people from my district to ensure the Twillingate and Fogo areas were represented. I can only come to one conclusion, my district is being punished for voting Liberal in the last election. This is unacceptable! I suggest Minister Ottenheimer re-evaluate his reasons for not including anyone to represent the people of this rural area.

"If this is the agenda of this government, I fear the repercussions for health board restructuring in the province. Government has already made health care decisions that have negatively impacted my district over the past several months. Recently, our 20 bed facility on Fogo Island was reduced to a 10 bed facility. We have been lobbying hard to have this decision reversed. Without representation, residents of Fogo Island will not have a voice at the table as these decisions continue to be made.

"If Minister Ottenheimer and Minister Rideout want board restructuring to work in this province, they must realize the importance of including representation from all regions. Without receiving the input of rural communities, negative decisions will be made without understanding the full repercussions of these actions."