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Judy Foote, Opposition Liberal MHA for the District of Grand Bank, says the
district has been treated unfairly by the Department of Transportation and
Works with respect to the allocation of road work funding for 2005. "I
take exception to the fact that a portion of road work for the District of
Grand Bank was cancelled this year because it was over budget," said Foote.
"Scheduled upgrading and paving for Route 220 will not be completed this
year in the St. Lawrence area. How can the Minister justify not fulfilling
the commitment to carry out road work on Route 220 when in the neighboring
District of Burin - Placentia West, the government is spending in excess of
$2 million on roads. I am told the contract for road work in the District of
Grand Bank came in at $700,000 instead of $500,000, an increase of $200,000.
That amount pales in comparison to the more than $2 million being spent on
roads in Burin - Placentia West. The Minister must agree that the people in
the District of Grand Bank deserve better treatment.
"The work that was cancelled on Route 220 this year represented just a
small portion of the need that exists in the area and I appreciated the
commitment given by the Minister to carry out work on Route 220 and Route
210 this year. To have him cancel a portion of the work at this time is not
only disappointing, but unacceptable. Certainly, if government can spend in
excess of $2 million in a neighboring district, the minister can find the
additional resources to keep the promise he made to do badly needed repairs
on Route 220. Residents are complaining about the condition of the highways
and there is no legitimate reason that the people in this district should be
treated any differently than anyone else."
Foote says government must also treat all districts equally in the
province when allocating funding under the Provincial Roads Program. "In the
neighbouring district of Burin - Placentia West, PC MHA Clyde Jackman had
approximately $2 million in road work projects approved by government. I
find this completely unacceptable when the District of Grand Bank faces
needs equal to that of other districts.
"I am now calling on the Minister of Transportation and Works not to
disappoint the people of the District of Grand Bank who have to use Route
220 daily when they travel to work, school and the Burin Peninsula Health
Care Centre."
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