Yet More New Math

Via the Ministry of Truth:

TLH Will Get Done
December 31, 2007

Transportation Minister Dianne Whalen says government is committed to completing the Trans Labrador Highway. Government recently signed a cost sharing agreement with the federal government to the tune of $100-million to widen and pave a portion of the road. Whalen says if that money is not sufficient to finish the project, government will consider its options. She says the Trans Labrador Highway is an integral part of the economy in Labrador.

A couple of interesting admissions there.

First, that the project is "to widen and pave a portion of the road."

Which "portion"? The Minister ought to be specific. When can coastal Labrador's Phase II, and the still-unfinished Phase III, expect to be paved? Have those portions of the road been built to width, or will they have to be widened, first, too? If so, why was the province penny-wise and pound-foolish in not building to width in the first place?

Second, that the money might not be sufficient to finish "the project", whatever "the project" is. No, really? Ya think?

It's interesting to hear the Minister, at least as reported by the Ministry of Truth, clinging to the quaint little fable that the provincial and federal government just signed off on $100-million for the Trans-Labrador Highway.

They have not. They might be trying to convince themselves they have. The are definitely trying to convince the people of Labrador they have. But they have not.

What they have done, is signed off on up to $100-million (and change) for a number of highway projects, including "extra roads", all in Newfoundland, none in Labrador, that the provincial government wanted to be able to access that pot of money.

And remember, this is the same provincial government that used to — in the past, formerly, once upon a time — call the Trans-Labrador Highway its "number one project".

Which "extra roads" are those? Why, according to Fabian Manning, at least two of them just happen to be in his riding: the Argentia access road, and the CBS bypass.

Which other "extra roads" are on the provincial government's list?

Given that the provincial department of transportation, Tom Rideout, MHA for Lewisporte, prop., was particularly insistent on putting the Lewisporte branch road onto the National Highway System list, is that highway also on the list of "extra roads"?

Given that Danny Williams and his government are super-committed to Absolute Openness and Accountability in Everything Always, how about publishing that list of "extra roads", and their cut of that $100-million "Trans-Labrador Highway" pot.

Because, you know, if they keep spreading the myth that they have allocated $100-million to the TLH, and have people believe it, and then they don't follow through, Dianne Whalen and company might just end up being accused of the same sorts of things they once accused the previous provincial government of doing to TLH funds...

How much of that $103-million pot of money, that Whalen and her Williams Government colleagues keep referring to as "funding for the Trans-Labrador Highway", will be spent on the Trans-Labrador Highway?