|
Opposition Leader Roger Grimes says that Danny Williams and his government
have left a litany of broken promises to Labrador which regional leaders
should not forget when they get their belated audience with the Premier and
his cabinet this week. "Since government has realized that there may be a
provincial by-election in Labrador in the coming months, they are finally
noticing that Labrador is a part of our province," said Mr. Grimes. "The
most recent ploy is holding cabinet meetings in Labrador in an effort to
raise their profile.
"During the last election campaign, Danny Williams promised that his
government would recognize the rights of the Labrador Metis Nation. Once
elected, he did not honour this commitment. The Labrador Metis people still
say they were betrayed by Premier Williams.
"During the campaign, Danny Williams said, ‘We will not develop the Lower
Churchill unless the primary beneficiaries are Labradorians. You have my
assurance on that.’ Since that time there have been negotiations held in
secret, while Labradorians are kept in the dark. Natural Resources Minister
Ed Byrne has recently stated that Labrador no more deserves special
consideration when it comes to Labrador resource development than does the
Burin Peninsula. Danny Williams said one thing during the election campaign,
and is now doing the exact opposite.
"During the campaign, Danny Williams promised to locate a Premier’s
office in Labrador. Not only has he broken that promise, he and his Minister
of Aboriginal Affairs refuse to situate the Department of Labrador and
Aboriginal Affairs in Labrador. Danny Williams promised to increase the
provincial government’s presence in Labrador. Since taking office, he is
doing the exact opposite of what was promised.
"Danny Williams promised that the location of the home port for the
Labrador ferry service would be based on an impartial and independent
analysis. However, Transportation Minister Tom Rideout, unilaterally, and
for blatant partisan reasons, moved the service back to his own district of
Lewisporte. This eliminated many jobs in southern Labrador, crippling the
tourism industry in the area. Danny Williams did the exact opposite of what
he promised.
"Danny Williams promised that he would treat Labrador better, that
previously Labrador had been treated as second-class citizens. However,
Danny Williams and Tom Rideout refuse to keep sections of the Labrador
highway open year-round. Would any other region in the province accept it if
government pulled the plows off their highways in the winter? Danny Williams
is treating Labradorians as second-class citizens. This is the exact
opposite of what was promised.
"This government has held cabinet meetings on the Northern and Bonavista
Peninsulas. The end results of these meetings were many commitments, but
very little action. We still have no rural development plan and the
economies of each region have not seen the growth they were promised. This
government is good at making promises, but not good at delivering on
results. Danny Williams has given lip-service to the needs of Labrador, to
the potential of Labrador’s resources, and to the frustrations of Labrador’s
people. But other than lip service, there has been very little delivered to
the people of Labrador."
|