Candidates weigh in on national highway

The federal government has a role to play in funding the four-laning of the Trans-Canada Highway, according to a majority of Thunder Bay-Rainy River and Thunder Bay-Superior North federal election candidates.
A national transportation system and vision for a four-lane highway from coast to coast is important to many voters both here in Northwestern Ontario and across the country.
The Question of the Day is: Although highway’s are a provincial responsibility, should the federal government get involved to fund a four-lane Trans-Canada Highway from coast to coast?
THUNDER BAY-SUPERIOR NORTH CANDIDATES:
Liberal Yves Fricot says strong transportation infrastructure is essential to the region’s economy.
“Federal government involvement in developing access to the Ring of Fire, improvements to the seaway, and highway upgrades that shorten travel time to southern Ontario will produce the greatest benefits for all of our communities and businesses. These are my priorities,” Fricot said.
(In response to criticism in the Thursday Question of the Day on pensions, Fricot says: “It is unfortunate that Mr. Hyer continues a negative campaign based on misinformation. Unlike many others in our region, and across Canada, the pensions of ‘Buchanan’ employees have been either completely unaffected by closures or are protected by insurance. Abusing the facts on an issue so important to so many people does everyone a disservice. I have always worked to try to keep mills open and to save jobs through the huge challenges faced during U.S. trade cases and an economic meltdown that threatened the economies of entire countries. The hardships for many in our riding are real and we owe it to everyone to focus on issues. There are ways to strengthen the pension system so that protections for workers are significantly improved and I am looking forward to a real debate next week about why the proposals I set out in my answer are the best ones.”)
Conservative Richard Harvey noted that although highways are a provincial responsibility, “the Conservative government has recognized the importance of highway infrastructure and have invested in four-laning through Canada’s Economic Action Plan and will continue to do so.”
NDP incumbent Bruce Hyer believes the federal government needs to be more involved in provincial issues that are national in scope.
“The federal government must play a leadership role with the provinces in building a Canada Route 1 from coast to coast that is safely divided, promotes fuel efficiency, commerce, and tourism, and has continuous cell phone and CBC radio coverage,” Hyer said, adding that “our cities (also) need more mass transit.”
Green Scot Kyle says the party is clear on the issue.
“The federal government should diminish concerns and investments which clearly empower the petroleum industry through the promotion of highways and internal combustion engines and move in the direction of high speed electro-magnetic rail travel,” he said.
Marijuana Party candidate Denis Carriere believes that Canadians should try to respect the original separation of powers between the federal and provincial governments.
“A lot of Canadian problems derive from the federal taking over what should be provincial spheres by using the federal government’s spending powers. Those were slippery slopes, that we already slid way too far down. We should not keep on finding excuses to go any further, he says.
THUNDER BAY-RAINY RIVER CANDIDATES:
Liberal Ken Boshcoff is a fan of four-lane highways.
“A National Highway system of four-lanes is something that should be completed to ensure safety, tourist, commercial, and general transportation. It will require provincial co-operation for those not yet twinned or four-laned. Partnering is the key,” he said.
Conservative Maureen Comuzzi-Stehmann says that “Four-laning the Trans-Canada highway is a provincial issue.
“The federal government assists municipalities by way of the gas tax credit. This credit assists municipalities toward infrastructure and roads,” she said, adding that “the federal government transfers dollars to the province for projects and a portion of those dollars are designated to roads.”
NDP incumbent John Rafferty feels the region is getting short-changed on transportation infrastructure.
“Anyone who has travelled to Toronto has seen highways 16 lanes wide. We are asking for four,” he said.
“Successive Liberal and Conservative governments continue to ignore the North. It is the Trans-Canada after all. Personally, I strongly believe that our national highway should be the responsibility of the federal government,” Rafferty added.
Green Ed Shields says the funds could be better spent.
“Let’s spend precious tax money wisely, and think more broadly. I wonder if these funds could be better spent on separate freight and passenger rail lines across Canada. Bombardier could make high-tech rail cars to rapidly load road vehicles and comfortably accommodate their passengers. Better rail would increase local competitiveness,” he said.