Holder and Yeomans Duke It Out Over Tolls

Tourism Minister Trevor Holder is firing back at comments made to Common Council about tolls by City Finance Commissioner Greg Yeomans.

Yeomans recently saying he's "infuriated" tolls were taken off the Harbour Bridge but Holder says the people spoke loud and clear and the tolls had to be taken off.

"Let me be perfectly clear," says Holder. "We had a mandate from the people of Saint John in the previous provincial election.....to get a federal provincial agreement in place for the restoration of the bridge, and the removal of the tolls."

"We had a mandate from the people to do that and we kept our word. In my opinion, Mr. Yeomans should spend more time helping the new dynamic council of the City of Saint John and less time criticizing other levels of government because they kept their word to the people they represent."

Yeomans had said when tolls were in place, roads sustained more damage because some truckers would avoid paying by going over the Reversing Falls Bridge and through the uptown. Holder says that means Yeomans is saying two different things.

The Minister says while tolls aren't always a bad thing, in the case of the Harbour Bridge Saint Johners felt like second-class citizens.