I stand today to present a
petition on behalf of the people in Labrador and it is
regarding the Trans-Labrador Highway, Route 510; the
fact that government, Mr. Speaker, has no radar vision
at all, no vision and nothing on their radar to deal
with paving this particular section of road.
You talk about commitment to the
people of Labrador, Mr. Speaker, today they are one of
the few people left in the Province paying not only the
highest rates for energy but also driving over the worst
roads, those that are fortunate enough to have roads,
because many of the communities still do not have them.
Mr. Speaker, everyone in Labrador
today who wants to get out of Labrador by road has to
use Route 510 and they are asking the government to
consider making a proposal and making allocations of
funds to be able to deal with this particular section
and to have it paved. Mr. Speaker, just to read the
petition into the record, it says:
WHEREAS
the Trans-Labrador Highway is a vital transportation
lifeline for the Labrador communities, providing access,
generating economic activity, and allowing residents to
obtain health care and public services; and
WHEREAS
Route 510 connecting –
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS JONES:
- branch roads of the Trans-Labrador
Highway are unpaved, in deplorable condition, and are no
longer suitable and safe for the traffic volumes that
travel this route; and
WHEREAS
Labrador cannot afford to wait years or decades for
upgrading and paving of their essential transportation
route;
WHEREUPON
the petitioners urge the House of Assembly to ask the
government to provide additional funding for much needed
improvements to Route 510 and connecting branch roads of
the Trans-Labrador Highway.
Mr. Speaker, the people in
Labrador have a deplorable transportation network, I say
to the government opposite. It is one thing to say that
we are going to construct roads, but to construct roads
and then neglect them to the point that you cannot drive
over them –
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS JONES:
- they are so bad; they are so poorly
maintained in many cases. To look the people in the face
and say to them that we are not going to address your
issue for at least another three years before it is even
going to end up on our radar.
Mr. Speaker, today, everyone in
Labrador has to drive that Trans-Labrador Highway and
they should have the ability to drive over paved roads
like other people in this Province –
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS JONES:
They should have the ability, Mr.
Speaker, to have a ferry service that is going to be
modern and designed to meet their needs, something the
government has neglected to address, I say to members
opposite. Something government has neglected to address
on behalf of the people in this area. At some point they
have to stop and realize that the people of Labrador are
part of this Province as well and they deserve to have
the same kind of transportation networks, Mr. Speaker.
They deserve to have paved roads.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The Chair is having difficulty
hearing the hon. member present her petition. I ask
members for their co-operation.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I could not even hear my own self
speak, so I appreciate the intervention.
Mr. Speaker, I can tell you right
now the people in Labrador deserve better. They deserve
to see some vision for their highway, some vision for
their ferry service so that their ferry service could be
modernized. There should be a new vessel built, it
should be long-term contracts that gives them access
between Newfoundland and Labrador.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
I ask the hon. member, in
conclusion….
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am presenting this petition
today on behalf of the people of Labrador. It is one of
many that I will be bringing forward to the House of
Assembly.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
