HST overshadowed at municipalities

Opponents of the harmonized sales tax coming to P.E.I. will have to wait and see if they have an ally in the P.E.I. Federation of municipalities.

The entire provincial cabinet was on hand to field questions at the federation meeting Monday. Last week the provincial budget announced the HST would be implemented on P.E.I. on April 1, 2013, and it has been a hot topic of discussion since.

But not at the Federation of Municipalities, which passed over the issue in favour of other topics.

"You know, we're looking at it," said Bruce MacDougall, a Summerside councillor and co-chair of the federation.

"We're weighing both sides. We just don't know how it fully affects municipalities."

Highway project criticized

One controversial talking point came from New Haven-Riverdale chair Stephen Gould regarding the new Trans-Canada Highway route through Bonshaw.

"The residents of New Haven-Riverdale felt that this highway alignment was an excessive and an obscene waste of money," Gould told the cabinet.

"Secondly, they felt that there was inequity in dealing with the landowners and they felt the valuation of their land was inappropriate."

Transportation Minister Rob Vessey defended the project.

"I don't think there's anyone in this room who would not agree that this is one of the most dangerous sections of highway in the province," said Vessey.

"As Minister of Transportation, my mandate ... is to give safe traveling highways to the traveling public."