The Kamloops-South MLA and former Transportation Minister says he doesn’t buy what the province is selling about increasing costs for a highway project.

Highway 1 will be four-land near Revelstoke starting next month at a cost of $85.2 million.

The cost is nearly 30 per cent more than initially budgeted, from $62.9 million, and Todd Stone says that’s because of union-only labour, as he accused the government of “paying off Premier Horgan’s close union buddies.”

“The NDP’s union-only requirement for labour on major infrastructure projects, those being 19 approved unions which are the only ones allowed to work on this project, are driving up the cost of this project… That is completely and totally unacceptable.”

Stone says the province wants people to believe the cost hike is mostly because of materials but he says there’s no way that’s the case.

“We said, when the NDP announced union-only labour for construction on major infrastructure projects, we said that this would result in delays in projects, that was case with this one in question. We said that the union-only requirement would increase the overall cost to deliver these projects, and that unfortunately for taxpayers has come true as well.”

The province will be paying $69.7 million of the highway project cost, with the federal government shouldering the rest at $15.5 million.

(Photo: Ministry of Transportation)