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 communities in Labrador, Mr. Speaker, that are asking the government to pave the Trans-Labrador Highway, as it is a vital lifeline to the Labrador communities. It reads:

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

WHEREAS Route 510 and other connecting 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 ask the House of Assembly to urge government to provide additional funding for much-needed improvements to Route 510 and connecting branch roads of the Trans-Labrador Highway.

Mr. Speaker, this petition is being circulated all across Labrador for the information of members across the way who are asking who signed the petitions, Mr. Speaker. There are signed petitions from communities in Lake Melville District, Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair District and Labrador West District, Mr. Speaker, and any other people from the Island of Newfoundland who have the fortune to travel into Labrador but the misfortune of travelling over that road, have signed this petition as well.

Mr. Speaker, this is being spearheaded by a local group made up of people from all across Labrador. They have been meeting on this regularly. They feel that their concerns are being ignored by the government. They feel that in their last meeting with the minister they were told that paving for this section of road is not on the radar of government, will not be on the radar of government for at least another couple of years before they decide to do anything at all with it. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the road is in deplorable condition. I drove over that highway myself this past weekend and it was nothing only potholes and ruts all in that road everywhere, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: I stopped and I talked to grader operators who told me that the road is so bad that the blades now of the grader are digging into the rocks and jolting them in the seats of the machinery that they are using to try and maintain those roads. That is how bad it is. The pavement in the Labrador Straits, Mr. Speaker, because of the increased traffic, realizing right now that all traffic in Labrador is going over this section of road. The amount of traffic there, Mr. Speaker, has quadrupled over the last number of years. There has been a lot of wear and tear on pavement that was already old. Last year, the potholes in the paved section of the road was so deep, Mr. Speaker, that people were damaging their vehicles every day on that section of road, and the department of highways, for weeks, did not even take the time to go out and put a sign up to say that there was a bump there. Then, they would not reimburse the people for the amount of damages that they did.

It is unfair treatment, Mr. Speaker, of the people in this part of the Province. They belong to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador as well. They deserve to have representation from their government. They deserve to have roads that equal to other roads and highways across the Island of Newfoundland, and they are asking the government to take this issue seriously, to invest money, and to do what is right and bring this road up to a paved standard that is acceptable to the people in that area.