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News
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Andersen wonders why Premier continues to discriminate
against Labrador youth because of where they live November 28, 2005
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Wally Andersen, Opposition Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs Critic and MHA
for the District of Torngat Mountains, is once again calling on Premier
Danny Williams to announce funding and call tenders for construction of a
350 seat auditorium in Happy Valley-Goose Bay for youth in Labrador. "I was disappointed during Question Period this afternoon to hear the Premier put off the youth in Labrador because of where they live," said Andersen. "Rather than move forward with this project because it is the right thing to do for the youth in Labrador, the Premier continues to blame delays on the federal government while work in other areas of the province moves forward without the same funding conditions. Government is discriminating against the children in Labrador because of where they live and that is not acceptable. "Provincial funding should be immediately allocated to construct the desperately needed auditorium for the children of Labrador. If the federal government is unwilling to provide the funding needed now, then the Premier should do the right thing and move forward with construction on our own." Andersen says that other school projects of equal or lesser priority have gone ahead without any requirements of the federal government. "So far this year, the provincial government announced projects at Herdman Collegiate in Corner Brook, redevelopment of a school in the Finance Minister’s District and at Leary’s Brook Junior High School in St. John’s. While these are worthwhile projects I feel are deserving of government funding, none were contingent upon demands to the federal government. Projects in Labrador should be no different and I am confident that if this facility was needed on the Island, it would be built and operational by now." A new facility is needed in the region to provide a performing arts venue for students all over Labrador. When Goose High School closed several years ago, the existing facility was closed and government had committed to building a new $2.4 million auditorium that would have accommodated 350 people. Government deferred the project two years ago as part of the 2003-2004 budgetary process. |
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