ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The governing Liberals celebrated the renegotiated Atlantic Accord Monday evening, but not everyone is applauding.
It will bring $2.5 billion to the province over the next 38 years, and for Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie, that timeline is not ideal.
“We need it more today than we need it 40 years from today,” he told reporters at the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland after the announcement.
Payments from the federal government to the province are front end loaded with $1.9 billion received by 2030, with an average of about $160 million per year.
Crosbie said he’d rather see the $2.5 billion handed over up front because $160 million will “take a bite out of” the budgetary deficit, “but it won’t abolish it and it certainly won’t lift us out of our desperate problems.”
He called the agreement “a bunch of pre-election razzle-dazzle, designed to fool the voter with billions of dollars flying about the atmosphere.”
Meanwhile, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) union is taking issue with the offshore joint management part of the agreement that clarifies both governments’ approach on oil and gas activity in marine conservation areas – specifically, permitting it in the Northeast Newfoundland Slope Marine Refuge.
“Harvesters don’t find it acceptable that there can be seismic blasting and potential drilling in an area where fishermen can’t put a hook, so I hope that’s given additional consideration,” FFAW president Keith Sullivan told The Telegram.
“People in the fishery are those who are most negatively affected by the oil and gas exploration and development, so I’m anxious to learn how our provincial government (and) federal government are going to consider fish harvesters in this equation.
“Obviously, there’s benefits here for the province, but we really have to look at how people who operate in a marine environment are affected, and obviously that’s the tens of thousands of people who rely on the fishery.”
Sullivan said it’s a double standard to allow oil and gas in a marine conservation area where fish harvesters aren’t allowed.
“We obviously have serious concerns about oil and gas operations because if there’s an oil spill, who does it impact? Seismic blasting, who does it impact? And we know the answer is going to be harvesters.
“Our focus now is to see what the options are here in light of this announcement and agreement, and certainly make sure that people – particularly in rural Newfoundland and Labrador – make this an election issue.”
— With files from David Maher (@DavidMaherNL, [email protected])
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