MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I stand today to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Labrador with regard to the Labrador highway. Mr. Speaker, hopefully we can get more out of the minister for Labrador on this issue than we are going to get out of Muskrat Falls from him I can say.

Mr. Speaker, the petition 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 other public services; and

Mr. Speaker, people in Labrador are circulating these petitions and they are doing so for a very good reason; the roads are deplorable. In fact, Mr. Speaker, they are probably the worst roads that you can put a vehicle on anywhere in Newfoundland and Labrador. I know that for a fact because I drove that highway myself this past weekend. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that road was nothing only potholes and ruts for the full eighty kilometres, or eighty-five kilometres that I drove it. It was absolutely ridiculous.

Mr. Speaker, there are groomer operators out there trying to groom the road. In fact, they are beating themselves up on a grader. They are out there grading the road and they are beating themselves up on the graders because the graders are hooking into the big rocks that are sticking up out of the roads, Mr. Speaker, and they are actually jolting the drivers who are on these graders. That is how bad the road is right now.

Mr. Speaker, the people in this area deserve to have a better transportation system. The people in Labrador are no different than people anywhere else in this Province, and anywhere else in this country. They are calling upon their governments to do what is right and appropriate, and that is to pave those sections of roads. They do not want a response like they got from the Minister of Transportation and Works a few weeks ago when he said it is not on their government’s radar and will not be until 2014 before they start looking for money to actually pave this section of road. That is not acceptable, Mr. Speaker, and nor should it be acceptable. I would challenge any member here - in fact, Mr. Speaker, the Member for Lake Melville, every single time I get up on this petition, does not stop babbling over on the other side. Maybe he should stop babbling and do something about it, I say to you, Minister.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: You are collecting the big paycheque.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask members to my left for their co-operation.

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.