Andrew Younger, a former HRM councillor and now Liberal MLA, weighs in on premier Darrell Dexter’s 11th hour interference with the city of Halifax’s plan for an expanded Bridge Terminal (press release):
(Halifax, NS) Liberal Municipal Relations and Service Nova Scotia
critic Andrew Younger is questioning why Premier Dexter is meddling with
the approval of municipal planning strategy amendments to permit a new
bus terminal in Dartmouth.Younger, the Liberal MLA for Dartmouth East, points out that Dexter
supported and voted for amendments to provincial legislation to allow
the transit terminal while in opposition. As well, Younger notes the
premier and his government did not attend any of the public
consultations on the terminal location, nor raised concerns at or before
the recent public hearing on the terminal location.“The role of the province is to support municipalities in democratic
and appropriate decision making, not to second guess elected municipal
leaders.” says Younger. “To suggest that HRM’s mayor and council has
misled cabinet on this issue is unwarranted and deserves an apology.”The current terminal next to the Dartmouth Sportsplex is undersized and
as a result is a safety hazard for passengers, drivers, and particularly
people with disabilities.“The premier should be encouraging transit infrastructure and usage
instead of being an obstacle,” says Younger.“Frankly, if the premier is more interested in personally reviewing
every decision of council rather than focusing on important provincial
matters, there is a municipal election he can run in, in 2012.”
This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2010.
ZING on the last line!
Andrew Younger is so awesome, I’m glad to say he represents my home.
Mr Younger did not attend the public consultation meeting earlier this year.
The legislation to allow the terminal was premised on the terminal being located on an almost square piece of land adjacent to Nantucket Avenue and clearly marked on HRM maps available for over 18 months and can be seen on the HRM on-line mapping site.
Dexter is not ‘second guessing’ HRM, he remembers what transpired in the legislature when Mr Younger was a councillor and realises HRM is playing bait and switch.
Too bad Mr Younger is unable to understand the facts or understand a map.
Right joeblow, right….
The city is using less of the commons than they were going to, and you have a problem with that?
You’re the neighbour who agrees to a pine fence and then goes ape-shit when it is cedar.
Luthor – the first location parallel to Nantucket would have used the same amount of space as the proposed location.
Metro Transit just turned it around 90 degrees.
The legislation set aside 6 acres but Metro Transit said it did not need alll that space.
They must have crappy researchers in the Liberal caucus because it took me 10 minutes to find this :
Hansard Nov 24 2008; Mr Dexter speaking on 3rd reading of the HRM Charter :
” I want to make this one last point with respect to it, Mr. Speaker. The whole point of putting in place this charter is to define, for the Regional Municipality of Halifax, their jurisdiction. I want to just go on record as supporting the notion that once we empower the municipalities, allowing them the freedom to make their own decisions, and sometimes the freedom to make mistakes, is an important part of having a democratic level of government like a municipality.
The members of this House are certainly not going to agree with every single decision that gets made by a municipal unit but we do, I believe, have to respect the right of the municipalities to make those decisions to find their own way on behalf of their citizens.”
OOPS, did he forget what he said 19 months ago ?
“I want to make this one last point with respect to it, Mr. Speaker. The whole point of putting in place this charter is to define, for the Regional Municipality of Halifax, their jurisdiction. I want to just go on record as supporting the notion that once we empower the municipalities, allowing them the freedom to make their own decisions, and sometimes the freedom to make mistakes, is an important part of having a democratic level of government like a municipality.
The members of this House are certainly not going to agree with every single decision that gets made by a municipal unit but we do, I believe, have to respect the right of the municipalities to make those decisions to find their own way on behalf of their citizens.”
Darrell Dexter November 24 2008 speaking on 3rd reading of the HRM Charter.