News Release
October 19.2005

Moore Joins Call to 'Fix Our Highways'

OTTAWA - Conservative Transport Critic James Moore today joined a group of Canadians pushing the federal government to live up to its responsibilities by providing long-term sustained funding for Canada's National Highway System.  "For a decade Ottawa has been taxing fuel excessively, and not investing that money into our infrastructure.  It is time for that to stop," says Moore.

Moore was joined by Jeff Morrison of the Canadian Construction Association, Randy Williams, President of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Liberal MP Roger Valley, NDP MP Peter Julian, and Bloc Quebecois MP Caroline St. Hilaire in calling for more federal funding and the launching of the www.fixourhighways.ca campaign.

At a joint press conference Moore noted that: "On October 7th, 2003 the House of Commons voted 202 to 31 in favour of a motion I put forward calling on the federal government to invest gas tax money into roads.  Two years later the Liberal government has done virtually nothing. Paul Martin has repeatedly stated that highway funding is a priority, but while surpluses grow and gas tax revenues climb, only pennies trickle into our roads and highways."

Concluded Moore: "It is time that the federal government stopped talking about its commitment to our national highways and started paying for the improvement of our national highways.  The Conservative Party believes this, we have walked our talk, and we fully support this campaign calling on the federal government to ‘fix our highways.’"

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For more information, email moorej@parl.gc.ca or call 613.992.9650