Madam Speaker, what I have to say today reflects upon the inadequate responses I have been getting as far as the Wentworth bypass in Nova Scotia goes and the money that was transferred by the minister of public works to his home riding.
I have asked this question four times in the House now. I am still not satisfied that the minister is going to be held accountable for this. I want to outline for those folks who are interested in this particularly serious problem just exactly what went on.
In 1992-93 there was a program called SHIP, the strategic highways improvement program in Nova Scotia. This joint program was to upgrade the 100 series highways, the Trans-Canada network highways. Under this agreement the federal and provincial governments shared in the improvement program.
What happened on May 11, 1994, according to the Nova Scotia auditor general's report, $26 million of these funds were diverted from highway 104 to a tourist highway, the Fleur-de-Lis trail, which is not a 100 series highway in the minister's very own riding in Cape Breton.
It happens that the minister and MLA Richie Mann, who I believe was Nova Scotia's minister of highways at the time and may still be, were both involved in this discussion. I have given quotes in the House which substantiate that instance where they were involved. They decided to take $26 million out of this project and put it toward the Fleur-de-Lis trail.
The difficulty many people in the Wentworth, valley area and indeed throughout Nova Scotia have is that it is considered one of the most dangerous highways in the country. As a person who lives in British Columbia, I can tell you there are a lot of dangerous highways in this country particularly in the mountains. However, this is considered one of the most dangerous highways in the country. There have been 40 deaths in the last number of years which I spoke about in this House.
They diverted the money from this federal-provincial project to a road which is basically a tourist area in the minister's riding. What does that say about the process? I guess it is up to the minister to be held accountable for what he did, but what it says
to most folks in the Wentworth Valley and the people who have to travel through this area is that you care a lot less about the lives of the people who travel this highway than about the money in your own riding.
There is going to be a toll on that highway which is likely to be $7 to $10. It will take an hour to drive through that area. What have the people ended up with in this whole exercise? It turns out that the minister of public works, not the minister of highways who has been answering my questions, made a deal with a provincial minister who also benefited from it to transfer money. Now the people in Wentworth valley are going to pay the price for it through tolls.
It is inappropriate. I will quote a Liberal member opposite: "This is about principles. It is about money that was misappropriated. If an agreement like this can be broken then I could go in to lobby for something ridiculous somewhere else. It is a matter of trust in cost sharing. Someone has to be held accountable". I ask: Why is the minister of public works not being held accountable?