It all becomes clear

The Trans-Labrador Highway has been the subject of a curious choice of phrase by the provincial government over the past several months.

For example, Minister John Hickey, in an article published on October 2, told The Labradorian, "From our province's perspective, the Trans Labrador Highway is the number one project..."

He told the House of Assembly on November 27 that "This is a number one priority, the Trans-Labrador Highway, for the Department of Transportation and Works and for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador."

In another article published in The Aurora on December 11, he said, "I can assure you the premier has made this a priority..."

And again in the House of Assembly on April 25, that "This is the number one project for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador."

But the provincial comms shop has been very careful not to answer the obvious question: "number one project" as ranked how?

And why the indefinite article, as in "a number one priority"?

How many "number one priorities" can a body have?

The province has been very, very, very careful not to say that the Trans-Labrador Highway is their one, single, number one infrastructure priority, or even the number one transportation priority.

And now that the Torbay Bypass Road will provide five alternative lanes of traffic for the northeastern suburbs of Capital City, thereby siphoning off the dregs of the CSIF funding for the province, we all know why.