Province Seeks National Highways Program

The Minister of Transportation and Public Works hopes the federal-provincial focus that led to increased health care funding can be used to foster a new National Highways Program.

Honourable Mike Currie says action is needed to address the deteriorated state of the highway system across Canada and to prevent the proliferation of toll highways. "Every Province is in need of highway funding to ensure a high quality national transportation corridor. Over the past two years the emphasis has properly been on the priority of health care funding and that has achieved some success. Now may be the time to use a similar approach to advance a national highways program."

Premier Pat Binns has already written to his provincial and territorial colleagues urging a cooperative effort in addressing highway needs through a National Highways Program and asking that it be an agenda item for the next meeting of Premiers and Territorial leaders. Minister Currie says there has been considerable discussion at the ministerial level and the Premiers are aware of the need. "I hope the same type of unified approach that resulted in health care funding being addressed can be used to advance the matter of a highways program. The provinces and territories made a united approach to the federal government and in focusing on one priority achieved success. With federal-provincial highway agreements coming to an end, a united approach on a highways program would be beneficial."

Minister Currie says the need is obvious. "I could fill a box with the reports and studies that back up the need for a National Highways Program." He says it is especially important for this region and the Island given the loss of the railway and the volume of goods that now moves by highway, as well as the fact most tourists visiting the Island travel by road.