FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1st, 2014
MP for Labrador
Yvonne Jones
Yvonne Jones, Member of Parliament for Labrador, is not pleased that the government is handing Frank Coleman’s former company Humber Valley Paving a fist-full of cash for roadwork in Labrador that never got completed:
“I, along with many Labradorians, was disturbed to hear about the government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s dealings with Humber Valley Paving, especially while Frank Coleman was running the company. Humber Valley Paving was contracted to do road work on the Trans-Labrador Highway, which is in immediate need of repairs and paving along much of its route. While Coleman was in charge, the government contracted him to pave 80 kilometers of highway for $19 million. Instead, the company only completed 20 kilometers, but still got paid 60% of its contract, or $12 million. This simply does not pass the smell test.
Jones went on to note the stark difference with regards to previous contracts:
“Just a few years ago in 2008, the government was not at all sympathetic to Island Aggregates & Ready Mix when they failed to complete contracts on the Trans-Labrador Highway. In fact, that company’s request for financial assistance was rejected, and the government pulled the bonding and refused to pay out holdbacks to the company. As a result, the company went bankrupt and 150 people were out of a job. This was the same PC government that today paid Humber Valley Paving for work not completed and in addition to this refunded them bonding with no penalty.
Ms. Jones went on to discuss the importance of these contracts:
“Labradorians expect meaningful improvements to their roads, and the general public demands value for every public dollar spent. The Trans-Labrador highway is in very rough shape right now and upgrading and finally paving or repaving the remaining sections of the road is of utmost importance. This road is left as the primary means of travel in many portions of Labrador such as the Labrador Straits. The government needs to commit to finishing the whole road network now and not wasting valuable time with delays and contractual issues.”
-30-
Media contact:
Christian von Donat
613-996-4632 (T)
613-222-2735 (C)
[email protected]