Transportation and Works

NDP Transportation and Works Critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) says longer-term planning for highways work would mean safer driving for the province’s motorists, as well as cost savings for government.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's East.

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are looking forward to seeing some of those statistics too when she makes them available. Mr. Speaker, the Health Estimates last week revealed that indeed the ambulance review is coming up.

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. John’s East.

MR. MURPHY:Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As we are headed into the construction season, we have yet to hear of a majority of tenders that have yet to be announced for road construction. There are about a handful on the government Web site.

NDP Transportation and Works critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) says it comes as no surprise that government members voted against his private member’s motion in the House of Assembly today.

NDP Transportation and Works Critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) says that once again headlines are focusing on people protesting the province’s ferries, but the problem lies with the provincial government’s lack of a viable plan for the ferry system.

NDP Transportation and Works Critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) says he is not surprised by reports that residents of South East Bight have chained a provincial ferry to the town’s dock in protest.

Christopher Mitchelmore, NDP MHA for The Straits - White Bay North, is circulating a petition calling on the House of Assembly to urge the government to allocate funds to implement 24-hour snow clearing on Route 430.

Interested members of the public are invited to contact Christopher's office, and are welcome to circulate the petition and collect signatures.

NDP Transportation and Works critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) wants to see legislation that would help protect workers on the province’s highways. “Move Over” laws already exist in the Highway Traffic Acts of most of the country’s jurisdictions.

NDP Transportation Critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) says the latest stories coming out of Marystown simply confirm what he has been saying for months – the government is out of its depth in the ship-building field and should consider starting fresh.

NDP Transportation and Works Critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) says it looks as though the provincial ferries strategy is going nowhere. “We’re seeing government pouring money into redundant boats that cannot have the service life extended simply because the ferry replacement strategy has gone amuck,” he said today. “This neglect is incredibly bad stewardship of public funds.”