Mr. Speaker, in the prairie provinces 113 kilometres of Trans-Canada Highway from Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, to the Alberta border is still two lanes. In the last 15 years that
stretch of winding hilly goat paths has claimed 23 lives and 320 people have been injured.
Twinning would cost $35 million. Last fall Saskatchewan had its money on the table but Transport Canada would not pony up its share.
Each year the federal government collects $5 billion in road fuel taxes and puts only 10 per cent of it back into the national highway system. There seems to be no limit to funds for hockey rinks, swimming pools and silly bureaucratic projects like universal firearms registration but nothing for this long overdue investment in essential infrastructure, an investment that would save lives.
Priorities, boys and girls, priorities.