David Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @Kathryn98967631 and 47 others
Methinks the obvious question would be Why or better yet Cui Bono N'esy Pas?
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2019/03/ministers-pile-on-confusion-over-route.html
#nbpoli #cdnpoli
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/province-backtracking-route-pledge-1.5065596
Ministers pile on confusion over Route 11 twinning pledge
Eastern New Brunswick twinning project narrower in scope than budget seemed to promise
The Higgs government has now
backtracked on an earlier backtracking of its plans to twin parts of
Route 11 between Cocagne and Bouctouche.
A provincial spokesperson says there was no contradiction between Finance Minister Ernie Steeves's budget speech on Tuesday and comments by Transportation Minister Bill Oliver on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Finance Minister Ernie Steeves said in his budget speech that the new Progressive Conservative government would try to finish that work if Ottawa would agree to remove the twinning of two bridges from the project.
"This
will permit the continuation and completion of affordable twinning of
Highway 11 to Bouctouche," Steeves said to the applause of his fellow PC
MLAs.
Transportation Minister Bill Oliver appeared to contradict that a day later, telling reporters the only work being planned is paving and adding connector lanes to finish 3.6 kilometres of already-built four-lane highway.
That section is part of the 13 kilometres that was to be twinned as one phase of an agreement between the previous Liberal government of Brian Gallant and the federal Liberal government.
"I think there's a bit of confusion there," Oliver said Wednesday, explaining that the work would not extend to Bouctouche.
"Not the whole way," he said. "Just to deal with the portion that has already been built."
That shorter 3.6-km section does not include any bridges.
Transportation
Minister Bill Oliver said the province will only twin a small portion
of the highway to add connector lanes. Steeves said later that this
doesn't conflict with what he pledged in the budget. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Late
Thursday afternoon, Steeves issued a statement reiterating that his
budget speech "announced our intention to continue the twinning of Route
11."
Spokesperson Tyler Campbell said that did not mean Oliver was wrong on Wednesday.
"Minister Oliver was referencing the work being done in this fiscal year," he said in an email. "Minister Steeves was referencing a section that we hope to complete subject to negotiations with the federal government outside of this fiscal year."
The Tories cancelled all Route 11 work except for the section nearing completion in December's capital budget.
A provincial spokesperson says there was no contradiction between Finance Minister Ernie Steeves's budget speech on Tuesday and comments by Transportation Minister Bill Oliver on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Finance Minister Ernie Steeves said in his budget speech that the new Progressive Conservative government would try to finish that work if Ottawa would agree to remove the twinning of two bridges from the project.
Transportation Minister Bill Oliver appeared to contradict that a day later, telling reporters the only work being planned is paving and adding connector lanes to finish 3.6 kilometres of already-built four-lane highway.
That section is part of the 13 kilometres that was to be twinned as one phase of an agreement between the previous Liberal government of Brian Gallant and the federal Liberal government.
'Bit of confusion'
"I think there's a bit of confusion there," Oliver said Wednesday, explaining that the work would not extend to Bouctouche.
"Not the whole way," he said. "Just to deal with the portion that has already been built."
That shorter 3.6-km section does not include any bridges.
Spokesperson Tyler Campbell said that did not mean Oliver was wrong on Wednesday.
"Minister Oliver was referencing the work being done in this fiscal year," he said in an email. "Minister Steeves was referencing a section that we hope to complete subject to negotiations with the federal government outside of this fiscal year."
The Tories cancelled all Route 11 work except for the section nearing completion in December's capital budget.
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David R. Amos
"The Higgs government has now backtracked on an earlier backtracking"
Methinks the obvious question would be why or better yet Cui Bono N'esy Pas?
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