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Thank you for your open letter asking for our policies concerning the environment and transportation. The Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia is comitted to protecting the environment. John Hamm's promises in this area have been costed, analysed and reasearched to ensure that they CAN be done. We want to deliver results and if elected, we will deliver on our promises concerning environment. "We do not own our environment, but we are its trustees for future generations" -John Hamm Nova Scotians have inherited a rich land with an abundance of fresh air and clean water. It is our responsibility to preserve and protect our environment for future generations. Part of this responsibility involves ensuring that all Nova Scotians have a clean, safe environment in which to live. During its first mandate, a PC Government will: * Immediately pursue a commitment from Ottawa to undertake a thorough assessment of the re-mediation needs resulting from coal mining and steel production in industrial Cape Breton. Following this assessment -- identify a long-term strategy for clean-up with a view to positioning Nova Scotia as a leader in environmental technology and remediation and maximize employment opportunities for laid off Devco or Sysco employees; * Establish, after thorough consultation with Nova Scotians, an environmental "green" plan for Nova Scotia, * Re-focus resources within the Department of the Environment to ensure it meets its primary responsibilities, especially inspection services; * Promote use of the most modern environmental technologies to meet our goal of sustainable, responsible resource use; * Work with municipal governments to find cost-effective, environmentally-responsible ways of handling solid waste; * Require public consultation before any municipality imports waste for incineration; ----- as for your question on transportation, John Hamm wants to ensure an ultimately more environmentally friendlier and economically stimulating transportation system for this province. We believe a first-class transportation system is an essential key to economic growth. All modes of transportation are inextricably linked: if one is weak, all are less effective. We believe taxes raised through transportation should be earmarked solely for maintenance and improvement of our transportation system. We believe good roads are essential to the well being of people who live in our communities. A Progressive Conservative Government will end the neglect of our secondary roads and discontinue the Liberal practice of spending a disproportionate amount of the highways budget in government ridings. This neglect has placed thousands of rural Nova Scotians in the position of second-class citizens. During its first mandate, a PC Government will: * Commit to no more toll Highways; * Develop a ten-year plan for completion of 100 series highways, upgrading and twinning; * Work with communities to ensure highways and secondary roads are planned and designed to optimize economic growth as a priority; * Establish a comprehensive, non-partisan, multi-year plan for maintenance and upgrading of secondary roads, based on need, rather than on partisan politics. It will be based on criteria that is publicly available; * Dedicate all taxes raised through motor vehicle licensing and fuel sales to highway construction and maintenance to provide a solid base for highway spending which may be increased depending on public need and available revenues; * Demand that the Liberal Government in Ottawa return a significant portion of the roughly $125 million in fuel taxes it collects annually in Nova Scotia as a contribution to our highway strategy; "The Federal government has taken hundreds of millions of dollars from Nova Scotians in fuel taxes over the last six years and given little or nothing back for highway infrastructure. It is time we receive our full and fair share.Ó John Hamm * Work with railway companies to upgrade rail links to North American markets through New England and extend private short lines in Nova Scotia; * Insist that the federal government complete long-promised upgrades to the Halifax International Airport; * Work with local authorities including Sydney and Yarmouth to develop an integrated airport marketing plan using an upgraded, world-class Halifax International Airport as the hub; * Work with business and community leaders to renew and enhance commercial ferry link opportunities to key markets in the northeastern United States; * Act as facilitator with business and community regarding joint transportation initiatives; * In cooperation with the Trucking Association of Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Provinces' Trucking Association, work to enhance highway safety and education. Hope this gives you a clear picture of our position on transportation. any further questions can be emailed to pcpolicy@netcom.ca Again, thank you for your email. sincerely, Liam O'Brien Policy Response PC Campaign Headquarters pcpolicy@netcom.ca -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- You received this because you are subscribed to "sust-mar", the Sustainable Maritimes mailing list. To unsubscribe, send email to <majordomo@chebucto.ns.ca> with "unsubscribe sust-mar" (without quotes) as the body of your message. To post a message to sust-mar subscribers, send it to <sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca> Posts that are off-topic or excessive length (10K) will be rejected. For help contact <sust-mar-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
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