Latest / VOCM On Demand / VOCM News Evening Update October 7th

Transcript

VOCM News Evening Update October 7th · VOCM On Demand

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: I'm Brian Medore. Premier Tony Wakeham delivered a speech to
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  Speaker 1: the Mount Pearl Paradise Chamber of Commerce today, focusing on
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: long-term projects and economic sustainability for the province. VOCM's Zach
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: Power was there.
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  Speaker 2: Wakeham started by saying his focus is not on megaprojects,
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  Speaker 2: but then followed up by highlighting Beta Nord and the
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  Speaker 2: Churchill Falls Agreement. He lambasted the Liberals for their deal
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  Speaker 2: with Hydro-Quebec on hydro development in Labrador, calling it flawed
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  Speaker 2: and saying that their sales pitch on the previous deal
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  Speaker 2: is all wrong. Premier Wakeham also took the opportunity to
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  Speaker 2: denounce those in the province who said that they should
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  Speaker 2: walk away from the deal, saying that they are not builders,
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  Speaker 2: before stating that the agreement will bring jobs and economic opportunity.
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  Speaker 2: He further downplayed opposition to his updated agreement with Quebec,
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  Speaker 2: saying he chooses to be a builder. He finished his
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: speech by proclaiming the deal will sell itself for both
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Wakeham says that he will
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  Speaker 2: work with the Quebec government on finalizing definitive agreements in
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: the months to come. Zach Power, VOCM, Local News Now.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: The infrastructure minister says there is no way the government
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  Speaker 1: is going to forget Stephenville Crossing following news that a
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  Speaker 1: building once earmarked for development of a new courthouse will
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: be demolished. Renovations on the Martin Glant Building, a former
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: CNA campus, had begun under the previous government with hopes
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  Speaker 1: of turning it into a new courthouse and government services building. However,
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: those plans were halted after the PCs took power just
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: about a year ago. Government says a further assessment of
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  Speaker 1: the building shows that level of disrepair is too far gone.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: It'll be demolished. Minister Barry Petten says, there have been
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: lots of internal conversations about how to proceed.
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  Speaker 3: I was left with no choice. I narrowed an infrastructure list.
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  Speaker 3: There was no money attached to most of it. It
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  Speaker 3: was all about announcements. It wasn't thought out. It wasn't
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: planned out properly. And I'm left, and I have a
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  Speaker 3: responsibility to take seriously, and it's about protecting, and I
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: would spend public monies, and I do take that seriously.
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  Speaker 3: That's my commitment to the government, to people in this province,
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  Speaker 3: to spend as much as I can, and I will
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  Speaker 3: continue to do that. But the placebo crossing will not
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  Speaker 3: be forgotten about.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: The union that represents academic support staff at Memorial University
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  Speaker 1: believes its workers are quietly being wiped off the map.
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: CUPE Local 1615 represents administrative, instructional, technical, and technical support
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: staff at MUN. Representatives from various unions and other groups
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: recently gathered at the University Centre to highlight the effect
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: of cuts and program reductions on students. Union Local President
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: Bill Cavanaugh.
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  Speaker 4: The biggest thing that I want to highlight that I
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  Speaker 4: don't think folks are fully aware of is that the
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  Speaker 4: academic help centers at Memorial University, so for example, in
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  Speaker 4: the departments of biology, chemistry, physics, who have lasted decades
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  Speaker 4: as a nine-to-five service to students.
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  Speaker 1: That's your newscast to this hour for VOCM News. I'm
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: Brian Medore.