Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Vindication is sweet.

Just had to get this off my chest.
One of my big bug a boos over past years has been the transportation issue to the coast of Labrador.
CBC has just issued a report from the Provincial Auditor General stating that the 340 millions bucks that was given to the Province by the Feds FOR UP GRADING MARINE TRANSPORT has been used unwisely in BUILDING ROADS. Roads like the TLH and the southern section of same. Certain people tried to sell this miss direction of funds on the hypothesis that it would reduce the cost of goods into the area. The AE says it has had the reverse effect; costs have gone way up for goods still being shipped in by ship.

5 comments:

NL-ExPatriate said...

Hello Brian.

Apparently the main reason behind the building of the TLH was to gain access to minerals and resources not access for the people.

Just look at the route taken. I can understand to some extent the route from a perspective to avoid costly river crossings and bridge building but to my mind that is just an excuse.

I even remember statements that the reason for the route was to allow access to resources not access to the people to outside markets. How many towns actually get linked by this new road? Not very many this road is just another attempt to utilize NL as a colony to be raped and pillaged for it's resources to feed the Liberal strong hold manufacturing industry in Ontario.

Oh well better than nothing, but is it really?

Brian said...

HI NL expat,
No, better than nothing is not good enough, especially for the people who are going to suffer from this blatant misappropriation of tax payer’s money.
I was talking to a couple of people here this AM about the battles we had trying to convince provincial and federal Liberals that it was clear in the transfer documents of those monies that they were for Marine Transport in perpetuity.
We told them that as soon as the federal money ran out we on the North Coast would suffer greatly with increased freight and travel costs. This will/is happening, mark my word.
The road was clearly built to accommodate the removal of resources; even the people who benefited with road links admit this.
What we discussed today was, is there a way to hold these people responsible of ignoring the law of the land being held to account. The little guy may get overpaid on his EI or assistance; it is ripped out of them in very quick time. These supposedly upholders of the laws misuse 340 million or so bucks they get re elected and give themselves a pay raise.

NL-ExPatriate said...

That was just a short sighted deal all around.
The feds wanted to be rid of it and the Prov wanted money to help stave of bankruptcy.
This deal amounts to the same thing as the rails for roads deal another short sighted gain for political gain.

Who actually agreed to this Ferry fiasco?

Mind you if the money was actually used to replace the ferries with a real time link like roads that would have been a good plan and deal for the long term.

WJM said...

Mind you if the money was actually used to replace the ferries with a real time link like roads that would have been a good plan and deal for the long term.

That was the case on the south Labrador coast, at least until Tom Rideout ran political interference with the placement of the Bond ferry service.

The province did not have to blow the entire LTIF on the highway. It could have put provincial funding into highways in the Labrador part of the province. It chose not to. As usual. As always.

WJM said...

Mind you if the money was actually used to replace the ferries with a real time link like roads that would have been a good plan and deal for the long term.

That was the case on the south Labrador coast, at least until Tom Rideout ran political interference with the placement of the Bond ferry service.

The province did not have to blow the entire LTIF on the highway. It could have put provincial funding into highways in the Labrador part of the province. It chose not to. As usual. As always.