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Burin peninsula ignored again by Williams Government April 27, 2007 Judy M. Foote, MHA for the District of Grand Bank, said the Williams government continues to ignore the needs of the Burin Peninsula with this year?s budget. Foote says if the regional minister for the Burin Peninsula and the member for Burin-Placentia West, Clyde Jackman, tried to have any input it is obvious he was ignored. "At a time when outmigration on the Burin Peninsula is at an all time high, and representation has been made to the provincial government to initiate activity to stem this outflow of people, it truly is disappointing to see those requests disregarded," said Ms. Foote. "Economic activity is what is needed on the Burin Peninsula and there was nothing in the budget that would lead to such activity. "This budget was an opportune time to announce funding for a graving dock for the Peter Kiewit Offshore facilities in Marystown as they compete for the construction contract for three navel joint support ships for the Canadian government. This graving dock is required to build the supply ships for which the contract will be let in 2008. The only competition is a facility in British Columbia which has a graving dock. The Williams? government has missed yet another opportunity to try and put thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to work and rejuvenate the Burin Peninsula. "The absence in the budget of any funding by the Williams government to an early retirement package for those in the fishery is another telling sign of the government?s lack of commitment to such a program. The premier has been asked repeatedly to move ahead with the funding he says his government has set aside for an early retirement program. He and the Minister of Fisheries has said they are not prepared to do so and let the federal government off the hook. Well, it was interesting to hear the Minister of Finance say in the budget that even though the federal government has not come through with their portion of the funding for the hard-surfacing of the Trans Labrador Highway, the provincial government will proceed with the work with or without a federal contribution. Why is it that if, as the government says it has set aside the funding toward an early retirement program for those in the fishery , it won?t proceed and spend that money, but will do so in another circumstance? There are so many people on the Burin Peninsula waiting to take advantage of an early retirement package, while this government continues to ignore their plight at a time when they brag about a surplus. "While announcing new health care facilities throughout the province, once again the government says it will continue with the health care centre in Grand Bank. This is a centre that would have been completed two years ago if the Williams government had not played politics with it, and those who need it. "An announcement of the opening of ten beds in the health care centre in St. Lawrence is being too cute by half. The government knows that these beds are required to accommodate those senior citizens who have to be moved from the Blue Crest Seniors Home in Grand Bank while renovations are taking place. These renovations would not have been necessary if the government had not cancelled the initial plan by the previous government which was to locate the residents of the Blue Crest Seniors Home and the new health care facility under one roof and shared services. The question is, will the ten beds remain open once they are no longer needed for the residents of the Blue Crest Seniors Home? "What was in the budget that was new for the Burin Peninsula? A new forestry building to replace the dilapidated one on Winterland Road, the replacement of which this government announced before but has never followed through on. The government is going to improve accessibility at the College of the North Atlantic Campus in Burin. Without a doubt this is important, but out of a budget of approximately $6 billion it clearly shows just how little regard the premier has for the Burin Peninsula and just how little influence the member for Burin-Placentia West, the regional minister for the Burin Peninsula, has with the Williams government."
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