MEDIA RELEASE
District 6 Councillor says enough sticks and stones on Harbour Cleanup funding debate
(Friday, September 20, 2002) - HRM District 6 Councillor, Brian Warshick, says enough sticks and stones have been thrown from all sides and corners in the harbour cleanup debate and now its time for a truce.
The Waverley -Westphal Councillor says "I am not happy with how events have transpired in the harbour solutions matter over the past 6 weeks but it is time to plan ahead and move forward".
Warshick says "All three levels of government have fired enough broadside shots to make their points known but in the end, I believe all three also recognize the importance of moving ahead with this project, for not only the citizens of HRM but for all Nova Scotians".
Councillor Warshick is calling for The Honorable Alan Rock to hold a meeting with representatives of all three levels of governments when he comes to town early next month.
I would hope that the rhetoric would have died down by then and perhaps the province and feds could reconsider their positions.
Warshick says while he realizes the tight position the province is in financially, perhaps as an olive branch, they could reduce the time frame the payments would be made to 10 years which would further help HRM taxpayers who are on the hook for the loan and interest payments.
As for the Federal government, he is urging them to reconsider their contribution based on the scope of the project and the size of the 2 billion dollar infrastructure program.
Warshick says "We have until the end of October to work this out so there is still time to make this a win-win-win situation and in the end it really is the citizens of HRM who should come first in our actions".
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Contact:
Councillor Brian Warshick
District 6 (Westphal-Waverley)
488-3800
