Minister responds to Opposition criticism

Government Services Minister Dianne Whalen wants to clarify information released to the Official Opposition and contained in a news release issued by Bay of Islands MHA Eddie Joyce, Friday afternoon.

The information given to Mr. Joyce indicated that a transport truck involved in an incident in Corner Brook on October 26 was slightly overweight, but that wasn�t the cause of the accident.

The transport truck was rear-ended by another transport on a ramp in fog and mist. The vehicle that was rear-ended was weighed and found to be 53,400 kilograms. This is 3,900 kilograms over the regulated weight. The operator was issued a ticket accordingly. The operator of the second transport truck was ticketed for following too closely than was reasonably prudent given the road conditions.

"The fact that the truck was somewhat overweight was not a factor in the accident, and Mr. Joyce knows this. This information was provided to him by my staff last week," Minister Whalen said. "The truck was  fined under our own regulations nonetheless."

Mr. Joyce also made reference to a logging truck incident in Grand Falls-Windsor on Wednesday where the logs shifted and spilled onto the Trans-Canada Highway, and questioned whether this truck went through an inspection.

"As Mr. Joyce is aware, the weigh scale configuration in Central Newfoundland is the same as it was under the previous government. The Grand Falls-Windsor scale catches west-bound traffic only, and this truck was loaded at the mill in Grand Falls-Windsor and was heading east," Minister Whalen said.

The operator of the logging truck was ticketed under the cargo securement regulations. The logs were weighed and no charges relating to weight violations were issued.

"The Opposition has taken the information provided by the department and is inferring that there is a safety issued as a result of these incidents and that is clearly not the case," Minister Whalen said.

Media contact: Tracy Barron, Communications, (709) 729-4869, 690-6157.

2005 01 21                    5:20 p.m.