CUPE Rep asks Premier "Why would your government not want to have those experts come here and do an actual test on this type of vehicle?"

To: Shawn.Graham@gnb.ca
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 2010 14:20:30 -0500
Subject: Tires

Premier Graham,

I hope you enjoyed your holiday season.

I see that in the Daily Gleaner your government department has refused to look at the tire issue raised by the mothers from Bathurst, they claim to have spoken with the experts from Goodyear and Michelin about the tire configuration for those 21 passenger mini-buses and they are using the right equipment. If this is correct , then why would your government not want to have those experts come here and do an actual test on this type of vehicle, remember this is not an actual bus. This is a converted 1 ton chassis that has been modified to carry passengers, it is not the 3 to 5 to vehicles that are built for school buses.

I have read where some people believe that these mothers should be moving on from this issue and I must disagree with those comments, these families have had their lives changes for ever because of this tragedy , what they are attempting to do is to provide the safest possible mode of transportation available for all children, not only in New Brunswick but no doubt in North America.

In interesting note, I see where Ambulance of New Brunswick has won an inter-national award for safety, I wonder if changing to winter tires on their entire fleet had anything to do with the process ?

So, would it be that hard to have the testing done and put everyone at ease.

Ralph McBride
National CUPE Representative
Saint John