Corner Brook MHA says recent cuts to fares at Marine Atlantic violates our Constitutional interests

Gerry Byrne says bridge users in PEI will see more than 75 percent reduction for commercial traffic to support their economy and jobs, NL gets no such benefit.

The Maritime provinces and Quebec  just became more competitive compared to Newfoundland and Labrador. For years, Corner Brook MHA Gerry Byrne has been an advocate for cost fairness to take a ferry across the Gulf. He says while a 50 percent cut to these ferries is welcomed news, NL is the highest cost service region in Eastern Canada without any support for those costs while provinces with much lower cost transportation service areas are supported. He says, remember, the return rate for a transport truck crossing the Confederation Bridge is now $20 return. For a Newfoundland trucker, it's roughly $1,700.00

Byrne says bridge users in PEI will see more than 75 percent reduction for commercial traffic to support their economy and jobs, NL gets no such benefit. He says the cost of our goods just went up compared to the cost of maritime / Quebec goods resulting in less orders for this province. Byrne says Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI and Quebec are now more competitive for commercial activity for exports, they can move more exports cheaper than us and they will get more orders. Goods and services bought from the mainland will remain the same while theirs go down substantially.  Byrne says this week’s announcement violates our constitutional interests and must be challenged if an appropriate inclusion can not be negotiated.