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Gerry Reid, MHA for the District of Twillingate-Fogo, is angry that the
provincial government recently closed the circuit court in Twillingate and
several other communities throughout the province. The decision to stop
providing court services in these communities was made without detailed
consultation with community officials and a public announcement was never
made. "It is amazing that the provincial government would try to hide this
decision from the people of Newfoundland and Labrador," said Mr. Reid. "This
is just another example of this government’s secretive nature and their
slash and burn agenda for rural areas of our province. Every service
reduction takes much needed revenues and jobs out of our community. The
actions of this government certainly do not demonstrate a government
committed to growing rural communities.
"The people of my district have already suffered greatly from the service
cuts they have experienced this year. We have lost a social service office;
lost our driver examiner; lost much needed teaching positions; lost ten
hospital beds on Fogo Island; lost Department of Transportation personnel;
and have had to pay the 25 per cent increase in ferry rates. This latest cut
will only put more hardship on the people of my district, and indeed the
other communities affected.
"The cuts to rural Newfoundland and Labrador have to stop. If this
government continues to cut services, I fear that rural areas of our
province will be devastated. Everyone in this province deserves equal access
to government services on a timely basis. These cuts demonstrate that people
living in many rural communities will not have the same timely access to
services as those living in bigger centres. I suggest Premier Williams and
his government re-examine this decision and the impact of these cuts before
any future decisions are made." |